It's a Banner Day!

Students at Tamarac Elementary practice good Character Education choices throughout the day. It always helps to have the occasional reminder though, and we’re working to make that happen.

Students in grades kindergarten through grade three have been working to create giant banners based on our themes of respect, tolerance, self-control and kindness. Students work by class with Mrs. Grimmick, our school’s counselor, to discuss the topic and try and brainstorm ideas that would show that particular trait. Students choose an aspect of the trait to illustrate and then do a rough draft drawing to scale. Mrs. Hanby, our wonderful community volunteer (and former Tamarac Elementary teacher), works with students to help them transfer their drawings, using fabric markers to pre-cut fabric squares. Other students in the class work on decorating the blank letters that spell out the word they are trying to illustrate. Mrs. Hanby uses her wonderful quilting talents to sew the words and illustrations together to create giant banners that are to hang in our cafeteria. Having the students participate in the creation gives them ownership, and they can feel that pride during the ‘Banner Raising’ ceremony and then every time they walk into the cafeteria to eat, attend a concert or have a meeting in there.

Our fourth and fifth grade classes are working on another way to remind ourselves about these character traits, as well as others. Each class will brainstorm possible ‘street names’ for the corridors, the offices and the cafeteria at Tamarac. They will choose student representatives who will meet with members of our BEST Committee (our Character Education Committee) to choose a name for each of the spaces and byways. Students in those grades will then work with Mrs. Fallon, our art teacher, to create art works. The selection process will again involve student representatives, but for each street sign two works of art will be displayed back to back. Plexiglas covers will protect the work and using small chains they’ll be hung around the school. So soon, instead of saying: Go to the B-wing and find classroom 31, we’ll be able to say: Go to 31 Behavior Way!

Both of these projects are funded through the Learn and Serve America Grant Program that our school participates in. Service learning and character education go hand in hand. Students learn by doing, and as they work cooperatively they are learning not only to do the ‘task’ but also how to be good citizens, work well with others, and combine their talents to meet a common goal. All good ‘stuff’!