Good deeds pop up
Good deeds pop up
Monday, 14 June 2010
By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
At the Wapakoneta Middle School, a staff member often has one thought pop into their mind when they see a student doing something nice for another student — popcorn pass.
Wapakoneta Middle School guidance counselors Kristi Fisher and Mark Koch created a program called “Character Corn” to help recognize those gestures. The program promotes good character in children and is built upon the six pillars of character — caring, fairness, responsibility, citizenship, trustworthiness and respect.
Fisher explained if a teacher spots a student exemplifying one of the six pillars of character they may give the student a popcorn pass. At the end of the specific time period, they can claim the pass for a large bag of popcorn.
“All the teachers and all staffers have these popcorn passes and kids can be awarded one at any time,” Koch told the Wapakoneta Daily News. “It doesn’t necessarily mean every time they will get one, but they may get one. It is always nice to be patted on the back for doing something nice for a student or staffer or something for the school.”
Fisher and Koch discuss character education with the students throughout the school year.
A few years ago, an old-fashioned popcorn popper was purchased and the popcorn passes were created. Students throughout the school receive them for their exhibiting good character.
“This is just another way to emphasize good character and reinforce what we are teaching them when we go into the classroom,” Koch said. “It is just a way to give something to the kids to signify we really do appreciate those students who exhibit good character.”
At the end of the year, the students, who received the most popcorn passes during a specific time period, earn the right to a pizza party.
The fifth-grade students who earned the pizza party included Cayla Harter, Skylynn Brannan, Britanni Hosterman and Sydney Epperson.
The sixth-grade students who earned the pizza party included Cara Dauch, Jadyn Nuss, Rachel Haehn, Sean Snook, Addison Gray and Brittany Pequignot, while the seventh-grade students who earned the honor included Kaitlin Sacher, Eddie Cochran, Gavin Hawk, Corina Ordonia and Summer Griner.
*** For more information please visit the link where I found this posted, http://www.wapakdailynews.com/content/view/171263/27/