Cornerstones of Character

What is Cornerstones of Character?

Charles City has been working on a community character education program since 1992. The four principles of Respect, Citizenship, Responsibility, and Effort have been agreed upon between the community and the school district as areas that we want our community to look like. This program is homegrown and is not a program that has been purchased. It is now time to bring all aspects of the community together to combine our efforts to effectively implement these ideas. We want to reach a point where community members know these four principles, use a common language when talking about character education, and demonstrate these Cornerstones in their behavior.

Respect	Citizenship	Responsibility	Effort
Show respect for diverse individuals and groups	Display effective cooperative skills	Demonstrate appropriate choices and accept consequences	Display positive effort toward learning
ARE YOU RESPECTFUL? Are you considerate of others feelings? Do you deal peacefully with conflict? Do you use good manners and not bad language?	ARE YOU A GOOD CITIZEN? Do you care about your school? Do you obey school and community laws and rules? Do you interact positively with others?	ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE? Do you resist negative peer pressure? Do you use self-control? Are you reliable and do what you say you are going to do?	DO YOU SHOW EFFORT? Do you always try your best? Do you keep trying and not give up? Are you always motivated to achieve?
You can show Respect by... - Saying hello to someone new everyday - Being accepting of others differences - Treating others the way you would like to be treated - Speaking courteously to all - Honoring rules in your family or country - Valuing others' property	You can be a good Citizen by... - Thinking of others' needs - Doing your share to make your school and community a better place - Being a good neighbor - Respecting authority - Protecting the environment - Staying informed and voting when you can - Cooperating - Obeying laws and rules	You can be Responsible by... - Completing all your assignments on time - Standing in line and waiting patiently - Cleaning up your trash - Never leaving anyone out - Setting good examples - Listening while others are talking - Working together - Treating animals kindly - Cleaning your room - Understanding others' feelings - Living a healthy lifestyle	You can show Effort by... - Doing your best work - Turning your assignments in on time - Not waiting to be asked to do a job, volunteering - Being excited to learn new things - Encouraging others to do better - Being ready to learn everyday - Showing your teachers that you care about your education