SBHS Named National School of Character

South Brunswick School District officials have long preached the belief that character education goes hand-in-hand with strong academics to create a well-rounded citizen of the community.  South Brunswick High School was recently honored for the character education efforts of staff and students by being named a 2011 National School of Character by the The Character Education Partnership (CEP) in Washington D.C.

"We're extremely pleased because I think one of the most important aspects of a student's education is not only the knowledge piece, but also the character piece," said Superintendent Gary McCartney. 

In March, SBHS was named a 2011 New Jersey School of Character by the New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional and Character Development.   SBHS was the only high school in New Jersey to be selected out of the 10 schools that were recognized statewide, and was one of only four high schools across the entire country to receive the designation.  As a result of that state-level honor, SBHS was placed in competition to be named as a National School of Character. 

The award is based on 11 principals of character as set out by the CEP, according to Character Education Committee Chair Gina Welsh.  

"You need a strong knowledge base to function in this world, but you also need a strong character base that allows a student to function in ways that promote civility, empathy, and consideration for others," Dr. McCartney said. "This is almost like a hand in glove interaction, with knowledge and character.  We're obviously really delighted for the staff at the high school because they worked hard to gain this distinction and they deserve recognition for that."