| Carmel awarded the State School of Character |
 Carmel ES has been awarded the State School of Character award for Georgia for 2011-2013. Carmel is the only school in Georgia to be selected for this award. This is the second state award for Carmel, which was previously selected the state school for 2010. Dr. Pam Green, Assistant Principal, worked with school and community members to complete the portfolio application process. One component of the application that Carmel students and staff were specifically recognized for was their commitment to implementing service learning activities within the curriculum school wide. Students have participated in community projects such as raising funds for the shadow dolls program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, writing to and sending packages to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, collecting pet supplies and food for the local animal shelter, and writing cards and letters for the elderly in local nursing homes. Principal Keith Bryant stated, "I am so proud of the job our students and faculty have done in serving our community, both locally and globally. I want to personally thank Dr. Green for all of her hard work initiating and overseeing these great serve and learn initiatives for our students and faculty." Dr. Green stated that Carmel has been completing community projects since 2005 and this year's fifth grade students were the kindergarten students of the K-2 group who wrote, illustrated and distributed over 700 books to residents in local nursing homes and facilities. "We are proud of our students and staff for embedding a comprehensive character education program within the school culture so that exhibiting positive character traits and expectations is second nature to our students. Our school personnel strive to assist the students in developing a more intrinsic approach to character education so that becoming good citizens, ones who are caring and compassionate for the needs of others, is viewed as a responsibility," Dr. Green explained. |