CHARACTER EDUCATION

Lower School Campus

To meet the developmental needs of early childhood, character is taught and integrated in the following ways:

• Integration within the academic curriculum: Character messages are worked into the daily life of the student in many ways.
• Student Recognition for Excellence in Character:  For each character trait, students nominate other classmates to win a character award.  The teacher tallies up the votes and makes the final selection of the winner.  A student may win only one award per school year.  They receive a character shirt that may be worn as a part of their uniform.
• Character Mail:  To encourage good character recognition, students are given time to write character letters to anyone on campus and put their letters in the character mailbox.  Mail is delivered every Friday by 3^rd Grade student mail carriers.
• Character Stickers:  When students exhibit good character to others, the teacher recognizes them with a character sticker.

Middle School

To meet the developmental needs of early adolescence, character is taught and encouraged in the following ways:

• Integration within the academic curriculum.
• Monthly Assemblies “The Academy Awards”:  Character assemblies, called ‘The Academy Awards”, are held to celebrate and recognize the character trait of the month.  Each assembly consists of a guest speaker, skit, and game show centered around the trait.  Student, club, and sport recognitions are also acknowledged at this time. 
• Student Recognition for Character:  For each character trait, students can nominate other classmates to win an Academy Award.  From the student nominations, two students from each grade level are selected by UA School staff to win each month.  A student can win only ONE Academy Award per school year.
• Credit Cards:  To encourage and reward good character throughout the school day, UA staff presents students with a “Credit Card” raffle ticket.  Credit Cards can be distributed at any time, for any character trait, and by any staff member.  Students enter Credit Cards into a monthly raffle for the chance to win prizes!
• Cardinal Brag:  Twice a month, each UA staff member recognizes ONE student with a Cardinal Brag postcard.  Cardinal Brags are given to students who have demonstrated any outstanding accomplishment.  The student receives a special treat at lunch and then the postcards are mailed home to parents.
• Advisory:  One time per week, students meet in small groups with a staff member for Advisory.  Time is spent working on age-appropriate character-centered activities dealing with common adolescent dilemmas.

High School

To meet the developmental needs of late adolescence, character is taught and encouraged in the following ways:

• Integration within the academic curriculum.
• Cardinal Brag:  Twice a month, each UA staff member recognizes ONE student with a Cardinal Brag postcard.  Cardinal Brags are given to students who have demonstrated any outstanding accomplishment.  The student receives a special treat at lunch and then the postcards are mailed home to parents.
• Advisory:  One time per week, students meet in small groups with a staff member for Advisory.  Time is spent working on age-appropriate character-centered activities dealing with common adolescent dilemmas.
• Service Learning:  Character is best taught through serving others.  In high school, students will receive more input into the selection of their community service project and will reflect upon the importance of this activity.

CLUBS/HONOR ORGANIZATIONS

We offer a variety of clubs to appeal to the wide interest of students.  We believe in the importance of developing children’s interests and hobbies and the benefits to be gained from social interaction.  For the majority of students who plan to attend college, becoming an active club participant can substantially increase their chances of admission.  We suggest strongly that students focus seriously on a few activities in which they have a genuine interest.  Involvement in activities and after school clubs is essential for enhancing their middle school and high school experience.  The organization of clubs will take place during the first month of school and the schedules will be determined.  The list of clubs offered each year varies. A list will be available at the beginning of the school year.

 2008-2009 HONOR ORGANIZATIONS 

Union Academy offers membership in the following honor organizations.  Requirements for the organizations are available at the beginning of the school year.

1. Academy Award Directing Board 
2. High School and Middle School Student Council
3. National Senior Beta Club
4. National Junior Beta Club
5. National Honor Society
6. National Junior Honor Society

COMMUNITY SERVICE

At Union Academy, it is our belief that a well-rounded education requires students and staff to be active participants in thoughtfully organized service to others.  In conjunction with the Community Service Team, students in each grade level are assigned meaningful opportunities for community service.  Each community service project is grade-level appropriate. There are several school-wide opportunities throughout the school year in which both students and parents can participate.   Past projects are listed below.  An updated list will be available at the beginning of the school year.

Grade                                                  

K         CMC Union - Service includes donations, caroling, Health Fair, and Spring Planting.

1                    Monroe Square - Service includes adopting a resident from this retirement home and providing dinner and conversation once a month, Christmas caroling, Ice Cream Social for Valentine’s Day and lunches in the park.

2                    American Red Cross - Service includes donations, letters to the military, constructing comfort kits for families assisted by the Red Cross, and a community blood drive.

3                    Environment and Recycling – Campus clean-up, paper recycling, visit to recycling center and to water treatment plant.

4                    Union County Animal Shelter – Students visit the animal shelter to feed, care for, and exercise animals.

5                    Operation Outreach - Service includes providing and serving lunch to the homeless once a month.

6                    Winchester Children’s Center - Service includes working with the preschool children in this program, and answering phones.

7                    Brian Center - Service includes visiting this nursing home and assisting with grounds upkeep, delivering ice and water to rooms, assisting in the craft room, and visiting with the residents.

8                    Wolfe School - Service includes allowing UA students to work with special needs students.

9          Union Academy Lower School service includes planning, preparing, and presenting an activity, game or skit to a K-4 classroom relating to the current character trait of the month.

10-12      Taking on a more independent format of serving the community.  Students will be responsible for selecting an organization and fulfilling thirty hours of community service with that organization for a school year.

School-wide projects include, but are not limited to, Cans of Compassion, canned food drive for the Jaycee Goodfellows of Union County, Operation Christmas Child, toy collection for the Union County Christmas Bureau, bird seed collection for the Brian Center, Relay for Life Cancer Research Fundraiser.