The Six Pillars of Character is an integral part of Parkway School's philosophy. To become more productive citizens of the future, children need to do more than learn the three R's. They also need to develop a set of core values that they can build on and call on throughout their lives to guide their behavior and attitudes. To meet this need, a nationwide movement has been implemented to strengthen individuals, families, and communities through character education.
    Six "building blocks" of character - trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship - form the foundation of character education. These building blocks are inseparable parts of a complete attitude that will help children reduce risk behaviors, improve achievement and develop personal integrity.
    These goals cannot be accomplished through the efforts of any one teacher, parent or institution. The responsibility for developing a nation of morally conscious students must be shared by all. Only through shared commitment can we hope to raise the level of character consciousness.
    Character education is not add-on curriculum. Rather, it is a method for accomplishing the existing goals of education, to help children develop all the skills they need to become successful adults. At Parkway, we approach it as a subject that can be woven into everyday interactions with children.  We integrate the ideas, activities and discussions into our regular curriculum. Here are some examples of how we integrate the Six Pillars of Character:

• Creating bibliographies and purchasing books that will support the program and making them
      accessible to students and teachers.
• Discussing each Pillar of Character and asking students to focus on its meaning.
• Encouraging students to keep Character Journals.
• Developing learning centers focusing on a pillar each month.
   

BOOKS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS
Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility, Thomas Likona (Bantam 1991)
Bringing Up a Moral Child: Teaching Your Child to be Kind, Just and Responsible, Michael Shulman and Eva Mekler (Doubleday 1985)