Citizenship (No. 7 of 7)

 Citizenship includes civic virtues and duties that prescribe how we ought to behave as part of a community.

To be a good citizen, you must:
• Do your share to make your school and community better.
• Cooperate.
• Get involved in community affairs.
• Stay informed - vote.
• Be a good neighbor.
• Obey laws and rules.
• Respect authority.
• Protect the environment.

Caring (No. 6 of 7)

 Caring is showing kindness and concern for others in distress by offering help whenever possible.
To be a caring person, you must:
• Be kind.
• Be compassionate and show you care.
• Express gratitude.
• Forgive others.
• Help people in need.

Fairness (No. 5 of 7)

 Fairness involves issues of equality, impartiality, proportionality, openness and due process.
To be a fair person, you must:
• Play by the rules.
• Take turns and share.
• Be open-minded - listen to others.
• Don’t take advantage of others.
• Don't blame others carelessly.

Responsibility (No. 4 of 7)

 Responsibility is demonstrating that you consider yourself to be accountable for your actions and that you follow through on your commitments.
To be a responsible person you must:
• Do what you are supposed to do.
• Persevere - keep on trying!
• Always do your best.
• Use self-control.
• Be self-disciplined.
• Think before you act - consider the consequences.
• Be accountable for your choices.

Respect (No. 3 of 7)

Respect is showing consideration and regard for yourself, others, and the world around you.

To be respectful, you must:
• Treat others with respect - follow the Golden Rule.
• Be tolerant of differences.
• Use good manners, not bad language.
• Be considerate of the feelings of others.
• Don't threaten, hit or hurt anyone. 
• Deal peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements. 

Trustworthiness (No. 2 of 7)

 Trustworthiness is being honest, telling the truth, keeping promises and being loyal so people can trust you. Trustworthy people don't lie, cheat or steal. They have integrity and the moral courage to do the right thing and stand up for their beliefs even when it is hard.

To be a trustworthy person, you must: 
• Be honest.
• Don't deceive, cheat or steal.
• Be reliable - do what you say you will do.
• Have the courage to do the right thing.
• Build a good reputation.
• Be loyal - stand by your family, friends and country.

Your Character Counts! (No. 1 of 7)

What Is Character? How Is It Formed? Character is who we really are. It's what we do when no one is looking. It' s the accumulation of thoughts, values, words and actions. These become the habits that comprise our character. That character determines our destiny.

A person of character thinks right and does right according to core universal values that define the qualities of a good person: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition calls these the Six Pillars of Character. Whatever we call them, though, our role as character developers is to guide young people's thoughts, words, actions and habits toward these values, which all people share, regardless of other differences.

The family is the primary character-building force in a child's life, and character education is a major family obligation. It's a parent's job to help our kids engage the world with as much trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship as possible. This challenge becomes more manageable by taking a simple approach and involving the full community in sending a common message about the standards of good character. It also helps to identify other major character influences in anyone's life:

• people we admire

• people who spend time with us

• reactions we observe

• goals

• expectations

• games

• friends

• life experiences

• stories we hear

• books we read

• words we hear

• music we hear

• TV shows and movies