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New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free School District Programs | Character Education

Character Education

The Board of Education believes that the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park School District has a special responsibility for educating the children entrusted to its care so that each may realize his or her full potential and enter society as an intelligent, principled citizen. As a part of this responsibility, schools should assist parents by reinforcing with students the many traits that reflect and help develop good character, traits which are first learned and stressed at home. These traits include but are not limited to the following:

  1. Responsibility: To demonstrate personal accountability and to work to the best of one’s ability.
  1. Respect: To show regard for the worth of self, others, the environment, property, and governmental laws.
  1. Citizenship: To follow the rules, obey laws, and do what one can to improve one’s school, community, country, and world.
  1. Kindness and Compassion: To be sympathetic and understanding toward the needs and feelings of others.
  1. Fairness and Tolerance: To have a fair and objective attitude toward those whose ideas, race, or creed is different from one’s own.
  1. Honesty and Trustworthiness: To be truthful, to distinguish between right and wrong, and to choose to do what is right. 
  1. Courage: To do what is right even when it is not easy.
  2. Courtesy: To display behavior that shows consideration for others.
  1. Cooperation: To work well with others.
  2. Self-discipline: To display appropriate control of oneself and one’s conduct and persevere in the pursuit of self-improvement.

Examples of other traits that deserve reinforcement are patience (to wait without frustration), forgiveness (to set aside differences), and good sportsmanship (to accept winning and losing well).

Each month of the school year one of the above character traits is selected as the “character theme” for the month. The particular theme for each month is highlighted in this calendar in the upper right hand corner of each month’s page. We invite you to join us in modeling good character traits in our schools and in the community’s homes.