South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Mehlville School District named a National District of Character

The Character Education Partnership, or CEP, a national advocate and leader for the character education movement, has named the Mehlville School District a National School District of Character.

CEP also named Blades Elementary, Oakville Elementary, Bernard Middle, Buerkle Middle and Oakville Middle Schools as 2014 National Schools of Character. The National Schools of Character, or NSOC, program recognizes districts and schools that have demonstrated the use of character development to drive a positive impact on academics, student behavior and school climate, according to a news release.

The National Schools of Character program is not a competition — but rather an opportunity to go through a rigorous process of feedback and coaching, as well as recognition for growth and excellence in the area of character development through CEP’s Principles of Effective Character Education framework.

The district and the five Mehlville schools will hold the designation for five years. CEP will showcase each school in an annual publication and on its website. Blades Elementary, Oakville Elementary, Bernard Middle, Buerkle Middle and Oakville Middle Schools also have earned the right to use the NSOC name and logo.

“In the Mehlville School District, we have put a laser focus on this in recent years and the result has been nothing short of an amazing transformation for our schools,” Mehlville Superintendent Eric Knost stated in the release. “Character Education is embedded in our daily practices, as we work to educate the whole child.

“I could not be more proud of the Mehlville School District for being recognized on the National level as a District of Character, and also proud of the five additional schools that are now National Schools of Character.”

Since its inception, CEP has awarded more than 250 schools with the distinction of a National School of Character. In 2014, along with the five Mehlville School District schools and the Mehlville School District as a whole, 36 additional schools and two districts were named across the United States.

CEP will honor all of the newly recognized Mehlville schools at the 20th National Forum on Character Education, slated the weekend of Oct. 30 in Washington, D.C.

Visit

to learn more about the national forum, the NSOC program and the 2014 national finalists.