Jacobsville Elementary School has made a name for itself as a school focused on preparing young people for successful futures. What makes the school so special, however, is its equal attention to character building and to academics.
Those efforts have landed the school in elite company: Jacobsville has been named a 2017 Maryland School of Character by Character.org, a national leader and advocate for character education. The 551-student school is the lone county school and one of just five schools in Maryland to earn the honor this year.
“We are so proud to be the recipient of this Character Award,” said Gwen Atkinson, who was principal at Jacobsville from 2012 until departing earlier this year. “One of the noticeable traits of our students, staff, and parent community at Jacobsville is possessing good character. In a world that, at times, reflects the worst in human nature it is gratifying to see the best of character traits within this school community.”
The school is now eligible for the national award for schools that meet a gold standard of excellence by “providing students with opportunities for moral action, fostering shared leadership and engaging families and communities as partners in character-building efforts.”