OLD BRIDGE – Three Old Bridge elementary schools and one middle school have received national recognition by Character.org.
Alan B. Shepard Elementary School, Leroy Gordon Cooper Elementary School, Virgil Grissom Elementary School and Carl Sandburg Middle School was each named a 2016 National School of Character, among 67 schools nationwide who were found to be exemplary models of character development in 2016.
Last year, Old Bridge Township Public Schools was named one of three National Districts of Character in the United States by Character.org, according to a statement prepared by the Old Bridge School District. In addition, in 2015, Old Bridge High School, M. Scott Carpenter Elementary, Memorial Elementary, William A. Miller Elementary, Walter M. Schirra Elementary and Southwood Elementary were all named a National School of Character.
Character.org is a non-profit group that supports the advancement of character development in schools, communities and workplaces across the US and globally. Each year, Character.org, formerly The Character Education Partnership, selects schools and districts that demonstrate that their focus on character development has had a positive impact on academic achievement, student behavior and school climate. Selected schools are then expected to serve as models for other schools, helping them to achieve the same results, according to the statement.
“Our schools continue to serve as role models showing their determination to not only meet but exceed the expectations outlined in Character.org’s 11 principles,” said Assistant Superintendent Kathleen Hoeker, who has led teams to bring character education to the Old Bridge School District and is a former principal of the Old Bridge School District’s first National School of Character, Alan B. Shepard Elementary School, in 2011. “Staff and students ‘Pay it Forward’ regularly while demonstrating empathy, care and concern, for others both locally and globally. We are Old Bridge Proud.”
Character.org will honor the four schools at its 23rd National Forum on Character Education set for Oct. 14-15 in Washington, D.C.
