Black History Month: Understand the Past — Knowing and appreciating the struggles and successes of those who came before us helps us to better understand and appreciate the freedoms and privileges we enjoy today. These materials help students understand the importance of examining the lives of famous African-Americans so we can be inspired by their journeys and learn from past mistakes.
Key Ideas: Learning from the past - Celebrating the lives of African-Americans
Character Traits: Responsibility - Appreciation - Citizenship

Inconvenience Yourself Day: Going to the Trouble (4th Wed. in February) — Being a person with strong character means being a person who goes to the trouble of doing what's right instead of doing what's easy, and that's not always convenient. In honor of Inconvenience Yourself Day, students are encouraged to take time to step outside of themselves and commit a random act of kindness by doing something special for someone else.
Key Ideas: Going to the Trouble of Being a Person with Character - Thinking of Others
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility - Honesty - Kindness - Courtesy - Caring - Empathy

Lincoln's Birthday: Doing One's Best (Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, Feb 12th) — Imagine a world where people simply did as they pleased all the time and felt no duty to excel at school, at work, or in their relationships. Abraham Lincoln once wrote that "a duty to strive is the duty of us all." Students consider the idea that we each have a responsibility to ourselves and to others to strive to do our very best.
Key Idea: Striving to Do One's Best
Character Traits: Responsibility - Human Excellence - Perseverance

National School Counseling Week: Just Ask — Asking for help can be intimidating. This message and lesson plan remind students that school counselors are an important resource when they are facing a challenge, whether it is a scheduling issue, a problem at home, or helping to adjust to a new school. This content emphasizes the importance of talking to trusted adults, like school counselors, as a way of solving problems more effectively.
Key Ideas: School counselors care about and want students to be their best - Everyone needs help at times
Character Traits: Responsibility - Trust - Confidence

Random Acts of Kindness: That's So Random (Random Acts of Kindness Week) — Kindness benefits the one who receives the act of kindness, but it also benefits the one who acts with kindness. Students are challenged to put kindness into action.
Key Ideas: Random Acts of Kindness Week - School Climate
Character Traits: Kindness - Caring - Empathy

Super Bowl - Super Life (Super Bowl Sunday )— In this special message and lesson plan, Tony Dungy, first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl, reminds students that the strength that matters most in life is not the physical strength they see on the football field, but the quiet strength that comes from a strong character.
Key Idea: Building Our Character Muscles
Character Traits: Inner Strength - Respect - Responsibility

Valentine's Day: Be Giving — Holidays like Valentine's Day provide us with an opportunity to share and give of ourselves. Students will learn to reach out to those who may be feeling unloved or unwanted.
Key Idea: Extending kindness to those who may need it
Character Traits: Empathy - Caring - Citizenship - Kindness

Washington's Birthday: Birds of a Feather — George Washington was a great leader who understood how peers influence us, for better or for worse. He also understood the need to treat one another with civility and respect. With this special message and lesson plan, students explore the notion that choosing friends wisely is very important.
Key Ideas: Our friends can influence our choices - Choosing friends with good character
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility - Honesty - Kindness