HAVANAELEMENTARY SCHOOL

705 U.S. 27 South, Havana, Florida32333

Phone: (850) 539-2877 ** FAX: (850) 539-2878

Mission Statement: “to provide the best possible environment for each student to develop to his/her fullest potential because there are no limits on learning.”

Hilda Jackson

PrincipalAssistant Principal

Dear Parent(s):

IMPORTANT: Please complete the attached required forms and return them to your child’s teacher on the next school day. Thank you for your cooperation. The forms are as follows:

FORM #1: Off-Campus School-Related Field Trips

The Havana Elementary School Community believes it is important to expose our students to as many educational enrichment activities as possible during the school year. These activities may require for students and teachers to be away from the school campus. School Board policy requires that anytime that a child/student participates in school-related off-campus activities;the written permission of the parent is required.

We are requesting that you grant permission for your child to participate in school-related off-campus field trips during the school year. This permission will be for the entire year and will be kept on file. By giving your permission, we will not have to ask such permission each time anoff-campus field trip is planned. You will be notified regarding the details of the field trip, in particularly, when your child will be leaving and returning to and from the school campus, and what funds you may need to pay for your child to participate.

A teacher will have the authority to not allow specific students to attend off-campus activities for specified circumstances. The teacher will notify you of these circumstances.

In addition, any school day field trip will be scheduled between the hours of 8:20 a.m. – 3:05 p.m. however, depending on the field trip;there may be times when weekend travel will be required. Again, you will be notified. The students will travel by way of a school bus or licensed chartered bus. In any case, the person in charge of the off-campus field trip will be a HavanaElementary School teacher and/or administrator.

FORM #2: Research Study: The Character Education Initiative

Character education is a new initiative, funded by the United States Department of Education, for Gadsden County Schools. The goal of character education is to form tomorrow’s leaders today by equipping students to take productive roles in society. Character education is curriculum-based and will be part of each child’s education. By 2010, all schools in the school district will have infused character education into its curriculum.

The Character Education Initiative is guided by the following standards:

  • Character education promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character.
  • “Character” must be comprehensively defined to include thinking, feeling, and behavior.
  • Effective character education requires an intentional, proactive and comprehensive approach that promotes the core values in all phases of school life.
  • The school must be a caring community.
  • To develop character, students need opportunities for moral action.
  • Effective character education includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners and helps them succeed.
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  • Character education should strive to develop students’ intrinsic motivation.
  • The school staff must become a learning and moral community in which all share responsibility for character education and attempt to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students.
  • Character education requires moral leadership from both staff and students.
  • The school must recruit parents and community members as full partners in the character-building effort.
  • Evaluation of character education should assess the character of the school; the school staff’s functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students’ manifest good character.

Your child is invited to participate in this project. Because the project is designed to investigate what works in GadsdenCounty as it relates to character education, it is funded as a research study. The study is being conducted by Dr. Beverly A. Nash, Project Director. Office location is: CarterParramoreAcademy, Room 45, 850-627-5015. Since your child is age 18 or younger, we must have your permission to include him/her in the study. The project staff will observe, survey, test and interview your child/student about his/her learning, enrichments, opinions, and understandings. Also, available to your child will be meaningful in-class and out-of-class activities, workshops, programs and opportunities. The risks associated with participating in this study are NONE.

REQUIRED FORMS FOR SCHOOL YEAR: 2007-2008

IMPORTANT: Please complete the required forms and return them to your child’s teacher on the next school day.

Name of School: HavanaElementary SchoolFORM 1 OF 2

Name of Principal:Hilda Jackson

School Year: 2007-2008

I hereby grant permission for ______(child’s/student’s name) in grade ______to participate in off-campus school-related field trips during the 2007-2008 school year, which will extend activities that have occurred in the classroom by providing to my child/student cultural and educational enrichment.

Signature of the Parent: ______

Print Name (Parent):______

Date: ______Telephone/Contact Number: ______(must be current and/or operational)

Gadsden County Schools

PARENTAL PERMISSION/CONSENT FOR A RESEARCH STUDY ENTITLED:

“The Character Education Initiative”

FORM 2 OF 2

I hereby give permission for ______(child’s/student’s name) to participate in a research study entitled: “The Character Education Initiative” being conducted by GadsdenCountySchools, Dr. Beverly A. Nash, Project Director.

The nature and purpose of the research study have been provided in writing to me. I understand the study/project and I agree on behalf of my child and myself to permit her/his participation on this basis.

Signature of the Parent: ______

Relationship to student/child: ______

Date: ______