Students at Sunny View Elementary School are learning and practicing behaviors that develop good habits to help grow, achieve, and succeed. Use of the Core Essentials program began last year at Sunny View as a strategy for teaching character.

Mary Ann Dotson, school counselor, coordinates the program and introduces a new Core Essential behavior each month in classroom guidance activities. Kellie Bradleys fifth grade students make daily announcements to remind everyone to practice the value of the month.

All teachers encourage their students by rewarding them with certificates, praise or other rewards when they are caught practicing the Core Essential behaviors. Angela Hall, media specialist, provides library books that reinforce the behaviors.

Students take home a newsletter each month to share information about what they are learning and practicing at school. Parents are encouraged to reinforce and reward them for practicing at home also.

The Core Essential for January is self-discipline, which means, doing what you need to do so you can grow. When practicing self-discipline, students develop good habits by repeating little everyday actions that produce good results, such as staying on task to complete their assignments, sticking to a hard task to learn a new skill, or consistently completing homework.

When students practice doing what they need to do, they grow mentally, physically, intellectually and emotionally.

Other Core Essentials included in the program this year are: wisdom, individuality, cooperation, compassion, honor, honesty, friendship, and patience.

Sunny View Elementary School is participating in a food drive which gives all students and staff an opportunity to practice caring for others.

Deborah Owensby and Julie Maziarka are coordinating the 100th Day of School Food Drive, combining the annual food drive with a 100th day of school celebration.

Each class will collect a variety of needed non-perishable items, beginning in January and continuing through Monday, February 8, which is the 100th day of school in this school year.

Each grade has a goal of collecting 100 items that will be donated to the Thermal Belt Outreach Ministrys Food Pantry.