This program helps students learn about the importance of positive character and supports their development in crucial values such as citizenship, responsibility and respect for self and for others. Several character traits are highlighted throughout the year and students who demonstrate the various traits in an outstanding way are recognized by their teachers and receive award certificates from the Administration. Teachers use a Character Education Curriculum that provides activities to reinforce the character traits for the school year and school-wide activities and celebrations, such as Respect Week, also support the learning process. This year we will be emphasizing one character trait per month as follows:

Barnegat C.A.R.E.S.
Character Traits

September:  Kindness

October:  Respect

November:  Empathy

December:  Warm-hearted

January:  Integrity

February:  Fairness

March:  Optimism

April:  Peseverance

May/June:  Responsibility

In Barnegat, we believe in family. We also believe in helping students become the best versions of themselves, and facilitating a positive school climate. 

And that's why in the 2018-2019 school year, the Counseling Department launched the UPstanders initiative. Through this program, one altruistic student per school will be recognized monthly at our Board of Education meetings. These students will be nominated by building administrative and counseling staff.

To reward these students, we are granting them with a gift card to a local restaurant to fund a meal for their household. Parents will sign a contract to consent to bring the whole family—bringing back the idea of a family dinner and family togetherness.

Sponsors will be funding six $50 gift cards per month of sponsorship. In compensation for local business participation, we will honor these businesses on our Barnegat Township School District homepage for their respective sponsoring months. These sponsors have the option to include a coupon for their sponsored month, further incentivizing patrons of the BTSD webpage to be patrons of the sponsoring business.

UPstander Qualifying Criteria:

Outstanding citizenship, indicated by:

1 or more acts of advocating for their fellow student(s); and/or

1 or more acts of kindness, and/or

1 or more acts of facilitating community/teamwork, and/or

1 or more acts of leading a group positively.

Traits indicated by an UPstander:

Compassion, trustworthiness, advocacy, integrity, positivity.

The UPstander Cycle

Family togetherness leads to
Increased sense of belonging, which leads to
Positive behaviors, which leads to
UPstanding school climate, which leads to
Student recognition, which leads to
Family dinner, which leads to
Family togetherness.