Superintendent Christopher Nagy described the achievement as a prestigious milestone.
During a recent board of education meeting, Burlington County Alternative School superintendent Christopher Nagy announced that The New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional and Character Development had named the Burlington County Alternative School (BCAS) a 2017 New Jersey School of Character.
The Alternative School will maintain this status for a period of three years, through 2019. In addition, BCAS will now be placed in a pool of eligible honorees for consideration in the National Schools of Character program recognition process.
“This recognition reflects the culmination of hard work, perseverance and tenacity on the part of the administration, staff and students,” Nagy said. “BCAS embraces and integrates the principles of character that promote a healthy, respectful, engaging and embracing environment across all campus programs. As a School of Character, we recognize the individuality of each student while promoting the attainment of one’s own maximum potential.”
The award comes as the BCAS campus was recently relocated to a new facility designed to accommodate 150 students to meet the growing demand for the alternative school program, which services Burlington County Districts and beyond.
“Our staff and students have worked tirelessly to implement the Character.org Principles of Character Education,” BCAS principal Joan Barbagiovanni said. “It is a well-deserved honor for staff and students to be recognized for cultivating a positive school culture and climate in which students learn, thrive, and grow.”
Character.org is a nonprofit organization that works with schools, districts and organizations to develop a culture where young people thrive both academically and ethically.
BCAS applied to become a State School of Character during the 2015–2016 school year.
The new BCAS facility is located at 1020 Briggs Road, Mt. Laurel, near Rowan College at Burlington County.
