2006-07 Jubilee Breeze Articles (City of Daphne magazine)
- SEEDS' Mamma Mia Cook-off to Light up the Night on November 11 (June 12, 2006)
- SEEDS, Local Schools Invite Community Members to Team Up for Daphne Character (December 2006)
- Planting Seeds... Growing Dreams – Building Community Through Daphne's Educational Enrichment Foundation (Summer 2007)
SEEDS, Local Schools Invite Community Members to “Team Up for Daphne Character”
by: Denise D’Oliveira, APR
date: December 2006
Research shows that character education initiatives by local schools are far more likely to succeed when adults in the community work together to reinforce students’ positive behavior and attitudes and commit to model good character themselves.
That’s why on Tuesday morning, Oct. 10, SEEDS, Daphne’s educational enrichment foundation, hosted a colorful “Team Up for Daphne Character” Kick-off Rally at the Daphne Civic Center Plaza. One purpose of the event was to bring the community together to celebrate the creative character education initiatives currently under way in Daphne’s five public schools, as well as at Christ the King Catholic School and Bayside Academy.
SEEDS members also joined with parents, city officials, business owners, and faith and community leaders to announce the formation of a Team Up for Daphne Character Coalition – a grassroots community group that will meet over the coming months to – support character education in the Daphne schools by helping to recognize positive student behavior and attitudes; and identify ways in which community members can teach, enforce, advocate for and model good character wherever they work, serve or play in Daphne.
The rally featured members of the Daphne High School band and Junior ROTC, the Daphne Middle School cheerleaders, the Christ the King Choir and representative student leaders from each of SEEDS’ other participating schools. In conjunction with the national observance of CHARACTER COUNTS Week, Mayor Fred Small read a proclamation making Oct. 15-21 “Team Up for Daphne Character” Week. Finally, community members in attendance had an opportunity to sign a pledge in support of the new coalition and joined in a commemorative photograph marking the historic occasion for Daphne.
“We wanted to spotlight the great work our schools are doing in the area of character education and to begin working together to reinforce those positive messages out in the community – especially during these difficult and confusing times,” said Ruth Seawell, SEEDS president.
“The whole idea for this project grew out of our regular networking meetings with the Daphne principals who asked us to help inform everyone about what character education could accomplish and to engage citizens as partners in the process,” Seawell added.
A follow-up organizational meeting of the Team Up for Daphne Character Coalition was held on Friday morning, November 17, in the Community Room of the Daphne Recreation Dept. Among the strategies discussed at that planning session was the possibility of establishing a community-wide “Daphne Character” recognition program for students (and perhaps to include employees of participating companies or municipal departments) who demonstrate positive behavior and attitudes.
As a result of the first coalition meeting , efforts will be ongoing to work closely with Mayor Small, City Council members and municipal department heads to involve city employees in the “Team Up for Daphne Character” campaign.
In fact, all coalition members were encouraged to ask their respective company or organization to urge employees or fellow members to look for ways to help teach, enforce, advocate for and model good character for the children of Daphne.
SEEDS plans to continue working with local school principals to facilitate the work of the “Team Up for Daphne Character” Coalition into 2007. For more information, contact Denise D’Oliveira at (251) 656-SEED (656-7333).
SEEDS is an independent, non-profit education foundation that brings together citizens of all ages who value learning and share a vision for education’s role in Daphne’s future.