Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Character Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Character Counts program says volunteers now cover all K‑5 classrooms; coordinator urges board partnerships
Summary
Coordinator Wanda Ray told the Queen Anne’s County Board of Education that the Character Counts volunteer program now reaches every K‑5 classroom, with 110 volunteers and 100% elementary coverage; she urged the board to partner on events and noted survey results that teachers and students report positive impacts.
Wanda Ray, the Character Counts coordinator for Queen Anne's County, told the Board of Education on Oct. 1 that community volunteers now serve in every kindergarten through fifth‑grade classroom countywide and that the program is expanding into middle and high schools.
Ray said 110 volunteers work regularly in the schools this year and that the program has a presence in “all 14 of the schools in this county.” She also said the program’s social media posts reached about 69,400 Facebook accounts last month.
Ray and longtime volunteer Wayne (last name not specified in the record) described how volunteers visit classrooms twice a month to teach one of six character pillars: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Ray said the program surveys teachers, students and coaches annually; she reported that 95% of responding teachers last year said they saw a positive impact attributed to Character Counts lessons and that 73% of students in grades 3–5 reported a positive effect.
Ray outlined a set of current activities: student ambassadors (two per school) who help lead morning announcements and maintain bulletin boards; weekly or biweekly cursive and character instruction in elementary classes through the district’s adopted core literacy program; and a family fun fair scheduled for the coming Saturday at Dominic’s Farm in Queenstown with free lunches for the first 150 attendees, a petting zoo and activities representing each pillar.
Ray invited board members to volunteer as classroom coaches and offered to help promote board initiatives through Character Counts’ channels. She also said she maintains a backup list of volunteers to cover absences.
Wayne placed the program in historical context, saying it began locally after the Columbine tragedy and was established by proclamation in October 2000. He described the program’s long reliance on community volunteers and the partnership with the school system.
Ray closed by distributing magnetic pillar posters and small gifts for the new board offices and said she would follow up with any board members who volunteered or requested materials.
