At an all-school assembly at Floyd Central, twelfth grader Erin Wessling told the governor and her fellow students what she had learned at that school safety seminar in Dearborn County. Wessling noted that just making eye contact and smiling at classmates can make them feel included rather than alienated. She had led the outing to that school safety workshop. Some of these ideas seem simple, but they can go a long way to making sure everyone feels they are valued and a real part of our school. We have high academic standards here.
Younger students can also be part of positive change.
The governor also saw how the school's self-esteem builders program is working to encourage good behavior. Staff members try to publicly reward acts that demonstrate trustworthiness, honesty, integrity and respect, explained Michelle Dyer, principal. Floyd Central and Pleasant Ridge both incorporate character-building into the whole school day. Character education should reinforce the virtues that parents teach at home, and that's one more reason why parents need to be involved in their children's schools. Since August, O'Bannon has dropped in on character-education programs in schools in Lawrence, Anderson, Elkhart, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Merrillville, Valparaiso, Chesterton, Rensselaer, Fort Wayne, Richmond, Bloomington and Columbus.