Trustworthiness. Respect. Responsibility. Fairness. Caring. Citizenship.  These are the Six Pillars of CHARACTER COUNTS!, our character education program for students, TK-12, for over 15 years. Last month, the Downey Unified School District was honored as a National CHARACTER COUNTS! Exemplary School District.

The district has emphasized these pillars to provide the foundation for good character for our students.  In 2003, the district was looking for a way to improve student behavior “up front” rather than addressing it at the end of the cycle in disciplinary action.  Over the years, student suspensions from school have dropped dramatically and the annual total of expulsions has gone from triple digits to single digits, and some years zero. This program is now ingrained in the fabric of the district and all of our teaching; it enables our students to have a common vocabulary and in turn, do the right thing the first time.  Downey Unified is also proud to be a participant in the character program for athletes, Pursuing Victory with Honor, which is provided to all of our student athletes and coaches on a recurring basis.

The district is also proud to have partnered with the City of Downey to be a CHARACTER COUNTS! community, one of the few such partnerships in the nation.  The City has the Pillars of Character in their Council chamber as does Downey Unified in the Board of Education chamber.  If you look carefully around town, you will find street signs or markers for each of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Pillars.

 This week Downey Unified celebrated dozens of veterans who work throughout the district. During Military Days that were hosted at all three of our high schools, our staff was treated to breakfast and received polo shirts representing their branch of service.  Each of the high schools also received a visit from a United States Army “asset,” a specially-outfitted trailer, which has a variety of exhibits including virtual reality devices that allowed students to experience a parachute jump from a plane and attempt to “land” on the deck of an aircraft carrier.  (I was close, but still landed in the ocean.)  Special thanks to former Mayor Mario Guerra, currently a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA), for helping arrange this special visit to our high schools.

There are also some exciting activities coming up throughout the district that you should know about. Our staff at the elementary level will be hosting the first-ever Elementary School Expo on Thursday, February 27 and again on Wednesday, March 4 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the district office (11627 Brookshire Ave).  This expo is set to provide elementary parents with a first-hand look at how Downey Unified programs set students up for success from the start.  From robotics and coding beginning in Kindergarten to one-to-one technology, our district truly provides a 21st Century education to all students. So if you are a Downey resident and have a child of elementary school age but have them enrolled in a private school, another school district or they are being home schooled, I urge you to come see for yourself why Downey Unified is unlike any other district.

 We will also be hosting a Parent Empowerment Summit on Saturday, March 28 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Downey High School, which is open for all parents to attend. This summit is designed to provide parents with tools and resources to support children with various challenges that students face today. This free summit will include raffles, workshops, information booths, and child care and is open for parents throughout Los Angeles County.  Workshop topics will include getting ready for college, strengthening social-emotional skills, dangers of vaping and school safety. More information will be rolling out soon but if you want to read more about it, visit PowerUpParents.com. The entire Downey Unified family hopes that our community and even the surrounding communities in Los Angeles County find this event helpful and use it as a resource to provide support as they navigate through parenthood.

 As I asked last month, I will again this month.  The district’s commitment is to let parents and students know of unusual events that impact our students as soon as possible.  However, every visit by a fire truck, paramedic unit or police car is not so out of the ordinary as to report it to the community.  Students fall and hit their heads; students or staff have medical emergencies; reports have to be made to the police.  Most of these need to stay confidential.

 If a school goes into lock down (doors are locked and everyone stays in place) or lock out (the gates and entrances are locked and no one is allowed to enter or leave campus), parents and students will be advised as soon as possible. Given the need to keep students safe and manage the event, we can’t always advise while the situation is occurring.  Please know that well over 90% of these incidents have NOTHING to do with the school itself, but are initiated by public safety officials for events such as police activity in the area, chases and the like. Please, if you have a question about something you see or hear, ask the school or call the district office, please do not rely on the information you read on Facebook or Instagram.