Welcome!

The Carthage R-9 Guidance and Counseling Department would like to encourage your interest and support for our program, Character Plus, being implemented again this school year. There will be character traits and definitions in which to focus students’ attention each month. The counselors, teachers, and staff are in place to support the building, as well as, generate ideas and activities to enhance each building’s program.

Character Plus is not simply a program, but a mindset and language utilized to ensure student success. The classroom teachers, as well as, all Carthage staff members are encouraged to use these monthly character words in ways you determine beneficial and appropriate in your daily student contact. We would encourage you to possibly post these words in your classrooms, create bulletin boards, facilitate discussions in teachable moments, etc. If you have questions or would like suggestions, please contact your building counselor.

The Guidance and Counseling Department is very excited to continue this program to help students achieve present and future academic and life success. Please note the Character Plus monthly traits and defintions on the Character Traits page.

Have a great school year!

What is CHARACTERplus®

CHARACTERplus®, a project of Cooperating School Districts, works to advance the cause of character education and sustain its impact on the lives of educators and students by:

designing, promoting and facilitating processes and best practices; serving educators and enhancing their commitment to character education; actively recruiting and developing community support; and continually evaluating the impact of our programs and services.

Started in 1988 by a concerned group of educators, parents and business leaders who decided that something had to be done about the deterioration of basic values, CHARACTERplus now reaches more than 600 schools in over 100 districts, 25,000 teachers and more than 300,000 students throughout Missouri and Illinois.

CHARACTERplus also has the support of over 30 businesses, countless individuals, as well as foundations, federal and state grants. It is the nation’s largest community-wide initiative in character education.

CHARACTERplus helps schools build consensus about what values or character traits to teach and which programs to use. Using the CHARACTERplus Process, each school develops a character education curriculum and program that meets its community’s unique needs.

Trait of the Month


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