Meramec Valley R-III Schools Partnering with CharacterPlus
(July 9, 2021) St. Louis, MO… CharacterPlus®, the longest-running character education initiative in the country, is proud to announce a new partnership with all eight K-12 Meramec Valley R-III schools. These eight schools will implement the CharacterPlus Way®, an evidence-based process designed to develop strong character in students while improving school climate, increasing academic achievement, and reducing behavior referrals.
The CharacterPlus Way’s three-year process was the focus of a federally funded study, and the successful results led to it being listed as a Promising Program with CASEL and on NREPP. The process addresses and is proven to improve students’ pro-social behavior so they can develop healthy, positive relationships among peers and with adults, demonstrate core values, and have a strong sense of safety and belonging. Meramec Valley R-III has 8 Pillars of Success that serve as the district’s core values. These 8 Pillars, and helping students, staff, parents, and the community experience what they look like, sound like, and feel like will guide the work in the schools. The 8 Pillars are Citizenship, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Respectfulness, Responsibility, and Resilience.
Each school will receive customized on-site coaching and consultation services, which allows schools to address their specific issues at a pace that works for their staff and students. Four schools – Truman Elementary, Pacific Intermediate, Riverbend Middle, and Pacific High – have already begun the process. Coleman Elementary, Nike Elementary, Robertsville Elementary, and Zitzman Elementary will all begin in the 2021-22 school year.
For additional information about CharacterPlus Way, please contact Nicole Diehl, Director of Membership Services, at ndiehl@characterplus.org. Dr. Ketina Armstrong, Director of Communications, is available to answer questions on how Characterplus will make a difference for kids in MVR-III schools.