The features of the Core Essentials program are:

• Teacher's Guide - These are used by teachers to implement lessons on character education words.
• Bookmarks - These are given to students in September that have words and definitions on them for the school year.
• Table cards - These are sent home with students monthly and designed to be folded and placed in a convenient location at home (kitchen counter or table).
• Value-Able Card - This card is given to students when they are "caught" demonstrating the character word of the month.  This card rewards them with a Free Chick-fil-A® Kid's Meal.
• Posters - These are displayed in classrooms to track students' character education accomplishments.

 Read more about Core Essentials at:  www.coreessentials.org

Thanks to the  Character Education Committee, teachers, paraprofessionals, and the administrative staff for a very successful second year implementation of Chick-fil-A’s Core Essentials program. Due to the generosity of Margaret Phillips at Chick-fil-A in Commerce  we will continue the program for the 2008-2009 school year at JES.  Below are the results from first and second grade pre-test and post-test scores. 

My goal was for 75% of students to correctly identify the 9 Core Essentials words from this year. 

This goal was met! 

• 79% of first graders correctly identified the 9 words for this year!
• 85% of second graders correctly identified the 9 words for this year!

I look forward to another successful year of Core Essentials next year!