School Mission Statement
The mission of Carmel Elementary School is to provide students learning opportunities to create new knowledge, overcome personal challenges, learn in all experiences, think in a higher capacity, and serve others to build positive character.
Character Education at Carmel:
1) 1) Carmel has been designated as the Georgia State School of Character for 2011-2013. Carmel has previously been recognized as a State School of Character in 2010 and has won national awards for their implementation of service projects. Carmel students, faculty, and staff members take this honor very seriously and work together to ensure that the expectations for being a SSOC member are followed and respected. The expectations for students are followed through with our bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodial staff, and After School Program workers being involved. Students are expected to follow the rules and show their adult supervisors what appropriate behavior looks and sounds like in all school areas.
2) 2) The Positive Behavior Committee: The PBC has been created to provide checks and balances for character education implementation at Carmel. The PBC is comprised of one teacher per grade level, a special education teacher, the teacher-trainers for Responsive Classrooms (program implementation of Morning Meetings encouraging positive language and behavior expectations) and Olweus (the anti-bullying program), one administrator and the student student council representative. The PBC members meet once per month in order to be able to report to the faculty and staff at faculty meetings how positive behavior interventions are working within the school. This group also provides the training for staff on positive behavior implementations such as the school-wide discipline plan.
3) 3) Morning Meetings: All faculty have been trained in Responsive Classrooms (RC) and have implemented the major component, Morning Meetings, into their lesson plans on a daily basis. This school-wide initiative involves the implementation of the Morning Meeting time where students and teachers discuss the learning objectives of the day for twenty to thirty minutes each morning. The Morning Meeting time is included into the school’s master schedule so that at least twenty minutes per day is allotted to this “beginning of the day” setting approach. This school-wide initiative directly follows the five minute closed-circuit televised broadcast “Town Hall” where the student-created show gets the Carmel Colts’ day started with the pledge, moment of silence, word of the week, weather forecast, and announcements for students. Therefore, anything discussed on Town Hall may be reiterated during the Morning Meeting time. During the Morning Meeting, teachers preview academic goals, assist students in planning for service learning projects, provide lessons once a week on the Olweus anti-bullying program, and create a time for students to make connections with the Word of the Week and the four Carmel Colt Coin words (respect, responsibility, honesty, and safety). Teachers explain to students what it “looks like” and “sounds like” to have appropriate behavior when transitioning to other school areas.
4) 4) School Counselors and Programs: Our counselors provide a means of support for students and they implement group counseling sessions within each classroom. Counselors also provide small group and individual sessions for students with specific needs. The counselors also arrange special assemblies to encourage and motivate students to do their best and be citizens of good character.