Vestavia Hills Elementary East named National School of Character

Vestavia Hills Elementary East (VHEE) is being recognized nationally for its commitment to character education and values.

Character.org, a national organization advocating for character education in schools, recently announced that Vestavia Hills Elementary East has been named a 2022 National School of Character. VHEE is one of just 50 schools in the U.S. to receive the National School of Character designation this year.

Each of the National Schools of Character was chosen based on excellence in eleven different principles of character education and development. At VHEE, those principles were found in the school’s “E.A.G.L.E.” core values, which represent a commitment to empathy, acceptance, grit, love, and excellence. 

This is the second time in less than 10 years that VHEE has been named a National School of Character; the school last earned the designation in 2013. 

“The benefit of having a character initiative for so many years is the depth at which some of the practices continue to grow. There is not a way to list everything as there are so many great practices happening at VHEE,” a press release from Character.org noted.

VHEE came to the attention of Character.org in 2021 when the school received the Promising Practices Award for its “Friendship Initiative,” which seeks to identify students in need of additional peer and adult connections and create opportunities for friendships to form. The program helped VHEE earn State School of Character status earlier this year.

“I’m so glad that our school has been recognized for a second time as a National School of Character. This reflects the great efforts of our parents and teachers to raise these kids with selfless core values, as well as our students’ efforts to follow the Golden Rule everyday,” said principal Mark Richardson.

VHEE is the third Vestavia Hills school in as many years to be named a National School of Character, joining Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights (2020) and Vestavia Hills Elementary West (2021).

--Submitted by Whit McGhee