Lawrence Schools Honored at N.J. Character Education Conference

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued by Lawrence Township Public Schools.

It’s official! Lawrence Middle School (LMS) received its banner declaring it a 2013 New Jersey School of Character (NJSOC) at the NJSOC Recognition Ceremony at Rider University on March 18, 2013.

Led by Principal Mindy Milavsky and Assistant Principal PJ Barrett, LMS will retain this status through 2015. The awards ceremony was part of the New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional, and Character Development’s annual conference.

In addition to participating in the awards ceremony, several Lawrence Township Public Schools (LTPS) staff presented at the conference:

• Judy Bronston, April Oliver, Rebecca Young and Kathy Jensen from Lawrenceville Elementary presented “Teaching Empathy to Young Children.”
• Amy Amiet and Cindy Westhead from Lawrence Intermediate presented “Character Ed: Networking Through Social Media.”
• Mindy Milavsky presented “Digital Citizenship: Power Up!”

LMS joins the ranks of three other LTPS schools that are NJSOC: Ben Franklin Elementary, Lawrence Intermediate, and Slackwood Elementary. Additionally Eldridge Park Elementary and Lawrenceville Elementary are NJSOC and have the noted distinction of being National Schools of Character as well.

The Character Education Partnership (CEP) in Washington, D.C. selects National Schools of Character (NSOC) and, via a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, expanded its program to include State Schools of Character (SSOC).

Thirty states, including New Jersey, conduct SSOC programs as a preliminary step to advancing to the National Schools of Character program. The New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional and Character Development (NJASECD) runs the NJSOC program.

As the NJASECD relates, the NJSOC program recognizes schools and districts that excel in exemplifying CEP’s “Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education” and demonstrate an outstanding character education initiative that yields positive results in student behavior, school climate, and academic performance.