About > Community of Caring

    Community of Caring

    Westbrook incorporates a Community of Caring character development program in all aspects of its academic and social programs.  Starting in kindergarten, all Westbrook students learn five core values to help them understand how to be responsible and caring members of a community.

    The Five Values

    These five values are integrated into the curriculum at each grade level wherever natural connections exist. 

    C of C" in Student Lives Every Day

    Some ways the Five Values are incorporated into every day life at Westbrook?  Students read quote that reflects one of the values at the end of each day’s morning announcements.  Class meetings focus on using the values to resolve disputes.  And parents are encouraged to remind the children about using the values at home.   A Community of Caring column is written each month for the school’s newsletter highlighting each
    grade’s character development activities.  These columns are often written by the students themselves. 

    Examples of how student activities reflect the Community of Caring values include:

    • The fifth graders show respect and responsibility by helping a number of the residents of the Brighton Gardens Assisted Living Residence shop at the school’s annual book fair.
    • The Westbrook Chorus shows caring by performing holiday songs for the Brighton Gardens residents.
    • The Student Government Association shows caring and responsibility by routinely holding canned food drives, and mitten and hat drives for donation to area shelters.
    • The school has also hosted visitors from Denmark to demonstrate how the core values are integrated into the classrooms.

    In recognition of Westbrook’s commitment to incorporating the Community of Caring values in all aspects of the school day, the school was awarded the Maryland Center for Character Education’s Character Education Award for 2002.  The Center recognizes one school in each county for this distinction. 

    In 2004, Westbrook also was one of nine schools to win The National Schools of Character Award.  A school assembly was held in December 2004 to celebrate the award.

    Contact Mrs. Yolanda Faerber for more information about this amazing program.

    Sister School Partnership with Viers Mill Elementary School

    The Sister School Partnership, a new initiative between Westbrook and Viers Mill Elementary School in which families of students at both schools share resources in order to enhance the educational opportunities for all of our children. Viers Mill has about 600 students, over 70% of whom are eligible for free or reduced meals. For more information about Linkages to Learning, see http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/Linkages/index.html .

    As part of the partnership, Westbrook families have donated books through the Book Fair and coats through a December coat drive. If you have more ideas for ways to make the most of this new partnership, please contact Kari Swenson & Katie Spurlock.