Character and Service

The vision statement of the School of the Ozarks mirrors that of the College and focuses on the development of Christ-like character in our students.  Students and staff are expected to live a life yielded to the will of God and guided by His Spirit to be transformed into the image of His Son.  We realize that this is an on-going process, but one that must be intentional both by trainers and trainees.  The School places a high value on character and developing character within our students.

School of the Ozarks has been established under the department of Character Education of College of the Ozarks.  Therefore our programs will be rooted in the goals of The Keeter Center for Character Education.  Because good character will be modeled and communicated by all staff, character will be caught as well as taught.  Character education at School of the Ozarks will:

1. Reflect the College's five-fold mission by emphasizing academic, Christian, vocational, cultural, and patriotic growth, goals that provide society with productive, responsible citizens.

2. Promote basic Christian values such as honesty, respect for and service to others, good citizenship, generosity, honor, courage, sound use of time and talents, and the work ethic.

At the end of each semester our faculty reflects upon each student’s character qualities. All teachers and the Dean evaluate how students’ lives reflect the fruits of the Spirit, the five goals of the College and School, and the twelve FirstPLACE character traits selected by our community. Students are given a detailed report with a score in specific categories. This evaluation helps the student and his or her parent(s) reflect on areas where they are most like Christ as well as to identify areas in which they might need to be more sensitive to His Spirit.

These twelve character traits were chosen by the citizens of Stone and Taney counties as major indicators of good character:

Respect – treating others with courtesy and honor

Responsibility – taking ownership of what you say and do

Citizenship – being loyal to your country

Compassion/Kindness – caring for others

Commitment – being true to your word

Honesty – being truthful in what you say and do

Cooperation – working together toward a common goal

Perseverance – demonstrating persistent determination

Self-discipline – training and control of yourself

Patience – waiting calmly

Patriotism – showing love for one’s country

Courage – facing difficulty with bravery