Character Counts Mid Shore (CCMS) recently hosted its annual volunteer appreciation dinner at The Milestone in Easton to honor the hundreds of Character Coaches who teach character lessons based on the Six Pillars of Character throughout the school year. This celebration provided an opportunity for staff and Board of Trustee members to show their appreciation to the volunteers, school staff and guests who support the mission of CCMS.
Each volunteer Character Coach also received handwritten letters of appreciation from their students and teachers. Showing appreciation is one of the character lessons that students are taught under the Pillar of Caring. “Having an attitude of gratitude is a lesson that students will need to practice throughout their lives,” states CCMS Executive Director Susan Luby. “These expressions of gratitude are priceless gifts that the Coaches keep from year to year. Character Counts is successful because of the dedicated Character Coaches who are the mentor, the friendly face, the consistent figure in the students’ lives throughout the school year,” Luby added.
Every school has a contact person that works directly with Luby and they were also recognized for being an essential part of the team. “We cannot thank these key people enough for their guidance and commitment to our programs”, said out-going CCMS Board President Lollie Walters. Walters was honored for leading Character Counts since 2013 by Senator Addie Eckardt and Delegate Chris Adams as well as Luby who reflected on Walter’s experience, skills, knowledge and education that moved the organization forward.
CCMS is a partner with Talbot, Caroline and Dorchester counties public school systems. Dr. Kelly Griffith of TCPS; Dr. Patricia Saelens of CCPS and Dr. Henry Wagner of DCPS, attended the celebration where Wagner was honored for his outstanding support of CCMS and was given citations by Senator Eckardt and Delegate Adams. Wagner is retiring as of June 30, 2017. “The support of the Superintendents is vital to this organization,” stated Luby. “We are thankful for the administrative leaders’ confidence in our programs and we value the partnerships that we have formed together.”
Character Counts Mid Shore is a local 501C3 organization that is not funded by the school systems and does not receive financial support from any government entities. For more information about CCMS, please visit their website at www.charactercountsmidshore.com or call the office at 410-819-0386.
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