The CHARACTER COUNTS! Council gave an awards dinner on October 19, just one facet of its CC! Week celebration. Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Lynne Battaglia delivered the keynote address.

Earlier, on October 18, students, parents and staff attended a daylong conference on CC! and discussed the program. The featured speaker was Gary Smit, CC! national faculty member and former superintendent of schools in Lombard, Illinois.

"We’ve seen [CC!] working equally as well with five-year-olds, 15-year-olds and even 35-year-old employees," said superintendent Linda D. Burgee, according to The Gazette. "This is a constant message about who we want to be as a school system."

Middletown High School junior Morgan Kellman said her favorite aspect of CC! is its universality. "All types of students can get involved," she said. "You don’t have to be a strong student or an athlete. This is something for everyone. I use the Pillars every day, or at least hope I do."

Sharon Boettinger, supervisor for counseling and student support for schools, noted how delivery differs by grade. With citizenship, for instance, she said, "In kindergarten, you might talk about helpers in the community and have students identify police officers or firefighters. As students grow older, they can look at larger agencies of help, such as the county and state health department or Heartly House. They get a broader view and transfer the Pillars to a larger status."