Mayor and Council Proclaim 'National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week'

Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz proclaimed this week National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week in the City of Gaithersburg. Now in its 16th year, the program encourages local students to reflect on character, morals and ethics that they admire in other people and themselves.

Three students from and one student from Washington Grove Elementary School read essays at the council meeting on Monday night. Each essay discussed an adult role model the student admires.

Kacie Ho, a student at Thurgood Marshall, wrote about her mom and described her as "helpful, honest and understanding."

"She is awesome," Ho said.

The CHARACTER COUNTS! program includes a poster contest for elementary and middle school students. Almost 900 students in Gaithersburg submitted entries in the poster contest this year.

More than 100 students submitted essays on adult heroes in the community. Sixty-one high school student wrote essays on personal ethics.

The city council will meet next for a work session on Oct. 24.