6 Pennsbury Schools Recognized By National Group

FALLSINGTON, PA — Six schools in the Pennsbury School District have been given the 2021 State School of Character distinction by a national group.

The honor comes from Character.org, a national group that advocates for character education. The Pennsbury schools honored are:

• Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School
• Makefield Elementary School
• Manor Elementary School
• Penn Valley Elementary School
• Walt Disney Elementary School
• Pennsbury High School

All six were designated State Schools of Character in 2016 and were re-designated with the same honor this year after a re-application process. They will now be considered for a national honor.

District officials noted that Pennsbury's other schools are on a different five-year timetable for renewal.

Here are excerpts from the summaries of the six schools receiving the honor this year:

Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School

The mission of Eleanor Roosevelt is to develop a culture where everyone is "Respectful, Responsible and Safe" so that each student can develop and grow to their fullest potential as a learner and a contributing member of the ER community. ER’s PTO helped to design posters that remind the students of the school’s core values. These posters let students know what the core values look like and sound like throughout the school. The Core Character Team, led by the creativity of teachers Jason Miller and Kimberly Sendlock in conjunction with the talented students on the ER Character Council, have created enjoyable videos and lesson plans to demonstrate school values and expected behaviors.

Makefield Elementary School

Instilling character in Makefield Elementary students has been a consistent priority of this school community. Building the character of Makefield students is a mission of every teacher and staff member of Makefield. Character development is woven into daily lessons across subject areas and emphasized through some of the school’s special events. Makefield’s core values of Giving to Others, Respect and Responsibility, Owning Your Behavior, and Work to build your character (GROW) are deeply embedded into the very fabric of the school and its culture.

Manor Elementary School

"Manor Strong" was established in 2015 and continues to grow stronger every day. This schoolwide plan was established to provide a positive school climate and to create a supportive
environment for personal, social and academic growth for students and staff. A Manor Strong Committee works toward continuous improvement.

Penn Valley Elementary School

The Penn Valley Elementary school community takes great pride in the school’s character education program. “We are honored to be selected once again as a State School of Character,” said Principal Barbara Hidalgo. "Our character education program is infused with our School Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support program. When visiting Penn Valley, the students are able to share that our motto is, WE R PV. We are Respectful, We are Responsible, and We are Safe are our core values. At the beginning of each school year, our students review and practice our core values as a school. Individual direct instruction takes place in each of the classrooms. Our character program provides common language and expectations throughout the school community. Posters that outline our core values decorate our hallways and classrooms to provide visual reminders to our students, but also to keep our visitors informed."

Walt Disney Elementary School
WALT DISNEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
"For seven years, the students and staff of Walt Disney Elementary School have traveled on our
character education journey," said Principal Laurie Ruffing. "Our character education program
focuses on all staff and students in all school settings. With the help of the staff, we provide the
students with school-wide expectations for all areas of the school, including the classroom,
cafeteria, playground, bathroom, hallways, and bus." These expectations are taught at the
beginning of each school year and revisited multiple times throughout the year.

Pennsbury High School=

Since earning a National School of Character designation in 2016, the school has continued to promote and expand the character education program, specifically highlighting the 11 Principles. Within the context of the discussion, students listen actively to the comments of others, think critically for themselves and articulate their own thoughts and responses to the thoughts of others, while building relationships within the classroom.