NEWS
Character Counts! Cohoes Schools win three prestigious character awards at statewide ceremony
April 7, 2011 - Teachers, administrators, staff
and one spirited middle-school student from the Cohoes City School
District were honored Wednesday, April 6 with three New York State
2011 Champions of Character awards presented by the Academy for
Character Education of The Sage Colleges at a banquet hosted by the
organization in Troy.
The Cohoes City School District received more Champions of Character Education awards this year than any other school district in the state, with Van Schaick Grade School being named a state School of Character; Ms. Ronnie Senez, a teacher at Harmony Hill School, a champion teacher; and Ms. ShiAnne VanDenBurgh, a student at Cohoes Middle School, a champion student leader.
The dinner and awards ceremony was held at the Franklin Plaza Ballroom in Troy. Click on photo to view slideshow.
Cohoes schools integrate character education into the curriculum at the elementary, middle and high school levels. The middle school and elementary schools, including Van Schaick Grade School, utilize Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS), a proactive school-wide approach to teaching behavioral expectations to all children. PBIS is used at more than 3,000 elementary schools nationwide.
At the participating schools, PBIS is used to teach students appropriate behaviors throughout the year so they know how to act responsibly and appropriately in places such as the hallways, bathrooms, cafeterias and during assemblies. Students are expected to learn and follow the “3 Bs” at all times: Be Safe; Be Respectful; and Be Responsible. Positive behaviors are frequently acknowledged and rewarded by all staff. The outcome is positive behavior and a school environment that is conducive to learning.
“Learning by all is not only our motto, it is our driving force in the Cohoes City Schools,” said Superintendent Robert K. Libby. “The promise of character education – to maximize each and every moment in the classroom and instill values that will last a lifetime – is being realized in our schools, from the elementary level on up. What the individuals and the schools represented tonight have done to contribute to character education in Cohoes makes me particularly proud.”
