2007 Wisconsin Promising Practices Winners

School District of Grantsburg

The School District of Grantsburg received a 2007 Wisconsin Promising Practices Award for their “Development of Grantsburg’s Core Values”. Through a series of gatherings, dinners, news articles and surveys, the Grantsburg School District engaged their community in establishing their core values. These core values form the basis for their character education, provide the tools students learn in class, and are used by students to self assess their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Lake Bluff Elementary School

Lake Bluff Elementary School received a 2007 Wisconsin Promising Practices Award for the way they implemented their “Character Education Assemblies”. They changed their school assemblies from performances to gathering time. They used this as a time to learn the language and practices that would help them build a school of character. In doing this, they also celebrated their successes in practicing their character traits. Along with the assemblies, they made a literature connection; each month they chose a book that exemplified the monthly character trait to read in each classroom.

Milwaukee College Preparatory School

Milwaukee College Preparatory School received a 2007 Wisconsin Promising Practices Award for their “Proactivity” curriculum. Proactivity is defined as “learning the value of strong character”. This is the foundation of the social skills curriculum, and is a character-building program based on the adjective proactive. All students, teachers, staff and families are included in the lessons and activities. An example of family participation is the development of a family mission statement. Character education is taught through literature, classroom routines and homework assignments.

Salam School

The Salam School, a private Islamic school in Milwaukee, received a 2007 Wisconsin Promising Practices Award for their “Character Building All Year Round Calendar Integration”. Students were asked to illustrate a monthly core value. The community selected the artwork which they felt should be used in their character calendar. The calendar also features pictures of students helping others. These calendars were sold and the proceeds were donated to needy members of the community.

Waukesha North High School

Waukesha North High School received a 2007 Wisconsin Promising Practices Award for their “Daily Advisory Period”. Character education was so important to the school that they redesigned their school schedule, resulting in a daily advisory period with a character development curriculum aligned with the 40 youth assets, the Changing Lives Character Education curriculum and also includes service to the community.