Vestavia Hills Elementary West Named National School Of Character

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL — Vestavia Hills West Elementary recently received national honors for its commitment to character. The nonprofit organization Character,org named VHEW as a 2021 National School of Character.

VHEW is one of just 47 schools in North and South America to receive the National School of Character designation this year.

Each of the National Schools of Character were chosen based on demonstrated excellence in eleven different principles of character education and development. At VHEW, those principles were found in “The West Way,” which emphasizes the core values of kindness, respect, and responsibility.

“The vast majority of schools in our nation do not even have core values, much less live by them,” a press release from Character.org said. “Having values that deeply reflect who the stakeholders of VHEW are and what they want their students to embody is a priority at VHEW. Teachers use these core values to discuss expectations for behavior and social interactions all day every day at Vestavia Hills Elementary West."

VHEW first came to the attention of Character.org in 2020 when the school received the Promising Practices Award for its “Connect 5” initiative. Connect 5 identifies students in need of social-emotional support and provides them with connections to five staff members in the school who regularly check in and provide encouragement to the students as well as feedback to school counselors. VHEW was named a State School of Character in January 2021.

“I am beyond excited that West can be awarded this distinction because it reflects the way we live and breathe character education every day,” principal Kim Hauser said. “This award was made possible because of everyone who is associated with our school — faculty, staff, parents, and community members — and their ongoing commitment to the values of The West Way. It’s also a challenge to us to continue to get better and work to instill these values into our students."