School earns recognition for character education
By Becki Harrington-Davis Contributing Writer

(l to r) Fifthgraders Nick Wright, Katie Farmer and Kate Moffat stand with Principal Reene Hatherly, showing off their Schools of Character award at the Mill Pond School. PHOTO/BECKI HARRINGTON-DAVIS

Westborough - When the Mill Pond School was being built in 2002, its administrators already hoped that it would have a character focus. But they had no way of knowing that six years later, they would be standing in the State House accepting the Massachusetts Schools of Character award.

That's because the award didn't exist yet. This honor marks the inaugural year for the Massachusetts division of the National Schools of Character (NSOC), a recognition given by the Character Education Partnership (CEP). The Mill Pond School is currently among 25 finalists for the NSOC award, which would come with a $20,000 grant devoted toward furthering character education.

The application process was not simple, according to Mill Pond Principal Reene Hatherly.

"We had to assemble, within 25 pages, a portfolio of evidence that we have addressed 11 diff erent standards of character development," she said.

These standards, put forth by the CEP, cover many areas of a student's development. Among them are defining "character" to include thinking, feeling and behavior; engaging families and community members as partners in the characterbuilding eff ort; and providing students with opportunities for moral action.

When one enters the Mill Pond School, which holds 840 students in grades four through six, the sense of values is immediately apparent. A poster in the lobby greets visitors by reading "It's all about … leadership, trustworthiness, responsibility, attitude." Likewise, the hallways each have nicknames such as Friendship Freeway, Peacefulness Path and Tolerance Terrace.

"It's like a subliminal message: it's everywhere," Hatherly said.

But the message to students goes beyond the surface. Every morning, Hatherly writes a letter to the entire school, which is read over the intercom. Her notes are intended to remind students of what Mill Pond calls the Keys to Success, its comprehensive approach to character education. Her letters revolve around a monthly theme, such as Conservation Month for April, and include some words of wisdom from famous people such as Walt Disney and John F. Kennedy.

Hatherly and the assistant principal often visit classrooms to discuss the themes with students. In addition, the school's three counselors develop special lessons in character education to bring to classrooms throughout the year.

Another example of Mill Pond's commitment to character development is class meeting, during which the students in each grade level assemble in the auditorium.

"The themes of the meeting are organized around the Keys to Success," Hatherly said, "and the values. It's an opportunity to bring a speaker in, somebody who is demonstrating key values in their life."

The benefits of character education go beyond the school grounds. Mill Pond students are required to participate in community service projects, such as Children for Children, which is in partnership with the UMass pediatric hospice program. The students develop special programming and lessons, which are brought to the hospice to enhance the lives of children who are terminally ill.

The amount of character education integrated into Mill Pond's curriculum has taken a lot of eff ort, according to Hatherly.

"People have to be committed to it," she said, "and there are varying levels of commitment, but we've come a long way in this school. People didn't buy into it right away; they'd be thinking that it takes time away from regular academics. But in reality, it's incorporated."

Parents of children entering Mill Pond have various expectations of the character curriculum. When children still engage in bullying despite the school's eff orts, some parents are disappointed.

"We're not ever going to eliminate all the kinds of conflicts that happen with kids," Hatherly said, "but we're trying to teach them how to deal with it … We won't ever say, 'It's a part of growing up, get tough, toughen up,' which is what I used to hear growing up."

For all its successful eff orts in character education, Mill Pond was recognized at Boston University's Center for Advancement of Character and Ethics conference April 29, and also honored by state senators and representatives at the State House May 1. The NSOC winner will be chosen in late May.