Assistant Principal Fred Unsicker has proposed the idea in order to help students and staff build a better character. Habitudes is a character education and leadership program designed around various images. Paoli High School is the first school in the state of Indiana to ever receive the grant to place this program in the school.

“We as teachers saw a need to help equip our students to be better leaders, even self leaders, as they head off into adulthood,” said Unsicker.

Unsicker has had experience with this curriculum before. The junior high softball team used Habitudes last spring as part of their regular practice schedule. Habitudes will be held during homeroom every Wednesday. There will be some type of introductory activity, a short video and a discussion for each Habitude lesson.

The program has been shown to benefit several aspects of schools, including a reduction in disciplinary referrals, an increase in attendance rates, an increase in academic performance and the creation of a culture of leadership in the school.

Story by Ashlyn Bonta