Growing Character, Growing Community at Carl A. Furr Elementary

This article was written by Henry Chase, School Counselor at Carl A. Furr Elementary in Cabarrus County Schools in North Carolina, where he serves students in grades K–5. Henry works with teachers, administrators, families, and district colleagues to build a comprehensive, data-informed school counseling program. Carl A. Furr is one of more than 20 elementary schools in a district that adopted The Positivity Project (P2) across every campus in 2022.

At Carl A. Furr Elementary in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, we believe academic success and character development go hand in hand. That belief is why we have fully embraced the principles of The Positivity Project (P2). P2 is built into our school day, our conversations, and our relationships. It is visible in our classrooms, our hallways, and most importantly, in our students.

As the school counselor serving our K–5 students, I have the privilege of seeing firsthand how an intentional character education curriculum changes a school community. Through daily instruction, monthly celebrations, family engagement, and counselor-led lessons, P2 has become a shared language that unites students, staff, and families around what matters most: building strong relationships and recognizing the good in ourselves and others.

Daily Character Instruction: Starting the Morning with Purpose

At Furr Elementary, every classroom begins the day with P2 instruction during morning meetings. This consistent, schoolwide commitment means that every student, kindergarten through fifth grade, receives daily exposure to character strengths and relationship-building skills.

Teachers weave P2 into discussions, reflections, and classroom routines. Students engage with the weekly character strength, explore what it looks like in action, and consider how it connects to their own lives. Because it happens every morning, P2 is foundational rather than an extra thing students must participate in.

Over time, this daily practice has created a shared vocabulary. Students reference strengths like perseverance, kindness, gratitude, and integrity naturally in conversation. It is common to hear a third grader compliment a peer by saying:

You showed teamwork during that project

We also hear kindergarten students reflecting and remarking:

I used self-control when I felt mad.

That language matters. It shapes identity.

Monthly Recognition: Celebrating Character in Action

One of the most visible aspects of our implementation is our monthly character recognition. Each month, every classroom selects a student who exemplifies the featured character strength. These students receive certificates and have their photos displayed on a prominent bulletin board for the entire school to see.

This celebration serves several important purposes:

• It reinforces that character is just as valuable as academics.
• It allows every classroom to spotlight positive behaviors.
• It creates excitement and motivation for students.
• It builds confidence in students who may not always receive recognition in other areas.

When students walk past the bulletin board, they see peers who are being celebrated for who they are and how they treat others. That visibility sends a clear message: character counts here.

We are also careful about making recognition inclusive and meaningful. Teachers consider growth, effort, and real demonstration of the strength rather than popularity or academic performance. This allows a wide range of students to be celebrated throughout the year.

Counselor Lessons: Deepening the Learning

In addition to daily classroom instruction, I provide monthly counselor-led lessons in every classroom aligned with the same character strength. These lessons are designed to deepen students’ understanding through interactive activities, role-plays, and real-life application.

For example:

• When focusing on perspective, students may participate in perspective-taking activities.
• During perseverance month, we might analyze how mistakes help our brains grow.
• In a unit on leadership, students explore how leaders influence others positively in small, everyday ways.

These lessons provide space to connect character strengths to peer relationships and problem-solving. Because I see students individually and in small groups, I can reinforce P2 concepts in more personalized ways when students need additional support.

The consistency between classroom instruction and counseling lessons strengthens the work. Students recognize that these values are not isolated. They are embedded across settings.

Family Engagement: Extending P2 Beyond the School Day

We recognize that character development does not stop at dismissal. To strengthen the home-school connection, we share P2 materials and posts with families each month. These communications include:

• Explanations of the monthly character strength
• Conversation starters for families
• Practical examples of how the strength might show up at home
• Ideas for reinforcing positive behaviors

Parents have shared appreciation for having language to talk about character at home. When families and schools use the same vocabulary, students experience consistency and reinforcement. We have seen students proudly tell teachers:

My mom said I showed gratitude last night

or

We talked about bravery at dinner.

Those stories tell me this is working. A student who hears about gratitude in a morning meeting, sees it celebrated on our bulletin board, practices it in my lesson, and talks about it at dinner has met that strength four times in a month. That is what a shared language does, and I couldn’t be more proud!