Character development is part of lunch menu for Sparta students

Sparta - The words trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship may not be the first words that come to mind when talking about adolescence, but for Sparta Middle School students these words are part of their daily curriculum known as the Six Pillars of Character. “Many students think that character is the same thing as reputation, but it is not. We teach students that character is what you are. A reputation is what people say you are,” said Assistant Principal Jennifer Montesano. “At the middle school we feel that it is our job to help students develop good character as they become young adults, and we are committed to aiding the character development of our students.” After months of committee planning, Monesano and the staff developed ways to promote good character among the students. They introduced several new programs were introduced this year designed to help students develop their understanding of good character. As part of this new endeavor, several students, selected by their teachers, are recognized each marking period as students with good character. The students are honored during an assembly of all students. In addition to the students honors, the school has introduced themed luncheons held every month, such as Holiday Jazz in December, Chinese New Year in January, Valentines Day in February, Theatre Recognition for March, and Baseballs Opening Day in April. . The luncheons are used to showcase the talents of the students, recognizing their contributions not only to their school, but in many cases their community as well. “During these lunches, we have the Jazz Band and Woodwind ensembles perform. We’ve incorporated multicultural presentations, and have even had the high school students perform various skits from their plays,” said Montesano. Middle school teachers hope all the different programs will help students understand that character is more than just another word in the dictionary. “One who has good character is someone who is admirable because of his or her self-assured, ethical behavior,” said Montesano. “In short, character is ethics in action.”