Round Top Elementary is a rural school with 621 students that range from three and four-year-olds to fifth graders. The majority of our families are middle to upper-middle class, but we also serve families who are impacted by poverty. Our school is special because of a high level of family and community involvement; a world-class staff; a character initiative that is infused into every aspect of school culture; and a level of arts integration that is second to none. With a PTO office that is staffed every day, an award-winning SIC, local business partnerships, and parents who volunteer on a daily basis, it is challenging to channel that level of enthusiasm in new and innovative ways. Our character initiative began in 2003 when our founding stakeholders imagined a school in which character development was a central theme. The goal of our character initiative is to empower students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens. An obstacle has been recent budget shortfalls for ongoing professional development. Stakeholders are brought on board through PTO and SIC meetings, Open House, Meet and Greet, Kindergarten and New Parent Orientation, our Open Door policies, our Red Carpet customer service philosophy, volunteer opportunities, and programs such as Career Day, Design Team and School Leadership Team. Texts such as Exceeding Expectations (Kovalik & Olsen, 2002) and leaders from The Center for Effective Learning have been key influences on our character initiative.

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