CHS received the School of the Year Award for Character Education from the Maryland Center for Character Education Oct. 6.

 The objective of the award, presented at Stevenson University, is to acknowledge schools that have developed activities in which a majority of students participate that support initiatives to help victims of disasters.

 “The students at CHS have consistently focused on and participated in activities to support people within the community, across the state and across the country to improve their qualities of life,” Principal Joan Benz wrote in her application for the award.

In order to win the recognition, CHS had to demonstrate high performance in three out of 11 areas in character education. Benz chose to explain how CHS creates a caring school community, provides students with opportunities for moral action and engages families and community members as partners in the character-building effort.

 Benz specifically noted in the application the Asian-American Club’s collaboration with the Civitans Club to raise money for the Japanese tsunami, the Consumption Junction Club’s efforts to raise money for the Japanese earthquake, the Key Club’s Capital Area Gulf Coast Relief Run for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Relief Fund and the SGA’s Kids Helping Kids drive to collect food for the Maryland State Department of Education’s food bank.

 “I don’t think many people in the world realize how giving high schools students are,” Benz said.

 Benz believes that the success of club charity events can be attributed to their good publicity.

 “All events are widely publicized to enhance total school and community awareness and participation in our Character Education initiatives,” Benz wrote. “Our daily news show, Daily Dose, reminds students of the traumas that people in the world are facing day after day.”

In addition to the efforts of clubs to raise money for others, CHS was also recognized for the initiatives of its Character Education committee to give a voice to students for improvements within the school. CHS’s Character Education Committee was created 10 years ago as an offshoot of the PTSA.

According to Benz, the Character Education Committee established Churchill Chat, which meets once a month, to give students a forum to express their ideas and concerns about current CHS problems and suggest solutions for them.

Churchill Chat has prompted SGA to create a number of different school-wide programs such as Battle of the Bands and Churchill’s Got Talent.

According to senior Brandon Fischer, who is a member of the Character Education Committee, the committee collaborated with Churchill Chat to create a new program, A Race to Somewhere, that focuses on school pressures. As part of the effort, motivational speaker Matt Bellace addressed CHS students Oct. 12 about ways to avoid drug and alcohol use in high school.

“His whole topic about making good choices is what character education is really all about,” Benz said. “It’s about integrity, honesty, caring and responsibility. That’s what we’re hoping young people will really embrace.”

CHS received the School of the Year Award for Character Education from the Maryland Center for Character Education Oct. 6.

The objective of the award, presented at Stevenson University, is to acknowledge schools that have developed activities in which a majority of students participate that support initiatives to help victims of disasters.

“The students at CHS have consistently focused on and participated in activities to support people within the community, across the state and across the country to improve their qualities of life,” Principal Joan Benz wrote in her application for the award.

In order to win the recognition, CHS had to demonstrate high performance in three out of 11 areas in character education. Benz chose to explain how CHS creates a caring school community, provides students with opportunities for moral action and engages families and community members as partners in the character-building effort.

Benz specifically noted in the application the Asian-American Club’s collaboration with the Civitans Club to raise money for the Japanese tsunami, the Consumption Junction Club’s efforts to raise money for the Japanese earthquake, the Key Club’s Capital Area Gulf Coast Relief Run for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Relief Fund and the SGA’s Kids Helping Kids drive to collect food for the Maryland State Department of Education’s food bank.

“I don’t think many people in the world realize how giving high schools students are,” Benz said.

Benz believes that the success of club charity events can be attributed to their good publicity.

 “All events are widely publicized to enhance total school and community awareness and participation in our Character Education initiatives,” Benz wrote. “Our daily news show, Daily Dose, reminds students of the traumas that people in the world are facing day after day.”

 In addition to the efforts of clubs to raise money for others, CHS was also recognized for the initiatives of its Character Education committee to give a voice to students for improvements within the school. CHS’s Character Education Committee was created 10 years ago as an offshoot of the PTSA.

According to Benz, the Character Education Committee established Churchill Chat, which meets once a month, to give students a forum to express their ideas and concerns about current CHS problems and suggest solutions for them.

Churchill Chat has prompted SGA to create a number of different school-wide programs such as Battle of the Bands and Churchill’s Got Talent.

According to senior Brandon Fischer, who is a member of the Character Education Committee, the committee collaborated with Churchill Chat to create a new program, A Race to Somewhere, that focuses on school pressures. As part of the effort, motivational speaker Matt Bellace addressed CHS students Oct. 12 about ways to avoid drug and alcohol use in high school.

“His whole topic about making good choices is what character education is really all about,” Benz said. “It’s about integrity, honesty, caring and responsibility. That’s what we’re hoping young people will really embrace.”