The Willow School Participates in Character Day 2018

Willow joins global day honoring the importance of developing character

Gladstone, NJ—The Willow School is excited to participate in this year’s Character Day on Wednesday, September 26! Character Day is an annual global day devoted to developing who we are and who we want to be in the world, reinforcing the school’s year-long emphasis on character development through its Virtues Program. On Wednesday, Willow elementary school students will gather for a special Morning Gathering, and many will participate in classroom discussions using Character Day resources and discussion topics.

Character Day is the perfect opportunity for Willow to join a global movement that reinforces our school’s emphasis on character development and our educational philosophy. Willow’s Virtues Program has been a core element of the school since it first opened, and virtues are embedded into everything we do. Students learn to understand and live by virtues such as courage, justice, gratitude, and compassion because they are modeled and practiced daily by their peers, as well as faculty and staff, from Morning Gathering to the classroom and beyond.

Throughout the year, our Virtues Program teaches students the importance of character, helping children discover who they are and encouraging them to become their best selves. Our intention is for students to learn and experience personal integrity, the foundation for deeply satisfying and successful lives. Virtues also set the tone for respectful learning and interaction in Willow’s welcoming school community, establishing a climate of trust and belonging.

Character Day emphasizes six pillars of character strengths: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Willow’s virtues program emphasizes many of the same strengths and values, and our hands-on, experiential curriculum also emphasizes love of learning, curiosity, creativity, social intelligence, social responsibility, leadership, and more–all important character strengths emphasized during Character Day. Discussing, presenting, and living these virtues help Willow students become confident, collaborative leaders who are empowered to make a positive change in their school and global communities.

Watch the short film below to learn more about Character Day!

Learn more about Character Day here.