Character Education

At the foundation of Colvin Run Elementary School is a unique character education initiative, developed in collaboration among our own teachers, administrators, guidance counselors and parents. To maximize the impact of the initiative, the multi-faceted endeavor focuses on five timeless, cross-cultural values: compassion, courage, respect, responsibility and honesty.

Students are taught and inspired to cultivate these values using literature, a common vocabulary of character traits and school-wide integration of behavioral expectations.

The effort also builds partnerships and supports parents in their fundamental role in character development.

Finally, the program seeks to reinforce and apply what students have learned about character through participating in service learning projects – both school-wide as well as grade level specific projects.

Service Learning Projects

CRES students, staff, and families are committed to caring for the community and learning about their responsibility to the world around them. Through grade level and school-wide service learning projects, all students participate in engaging activities and contribute to society. In addition, these projects are connected to the FCPS Program of Studies and curriculum. Student reflections are held during and/or after each project and activity. These reflections help students assess what they have learned and help CRES staff evaluate the impact. Please see more details about specific grade-level and school-wide service projects for the coming school year.

What Are Service Learning Projects?

Service learning projects at Colvin Run:

Give all students a variety of practical opportunities to demonstrate compassion.
Provide leadership and instruction as to how to integrate respect and responsibility with compassion.
Where applicable, connect service learning projects to classroom curriculum.
Connect “Head, Heart and Hands.” Demonstrating service to others makes the connection between what is believed in the heart and in the mind true in their actions.
Impact our school and greater communities through effective projects.

CRES Grade Level Service Learning Projects - 2025-2026 School Year

Kindergarten: Reaching Out Locally

CRES kindergarteners make care packages for local firefighters, ICU nurses, and Postal workers.

1st Grade: Connection to Community

First grade partner with pen pal buddies at Hybla Valley ES to build relationships and strengthen writing skills. Students wrote to each other for three months and participate in a culminating event in May where 1st graders one school will host the other for a day of activities and lunch.

2nd Grade: Book Drive

2nd grade students advertise and collect books from the entire school to donate to students at Hybla Valley ES.

3rd Grade: Alex's Lemonade Stand

3rd Graders hosted a daily lemonade stand to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand.

4th Grade: Recycling Initiative & Cornerstone Food Donation

4th graders keep CRES environmentally friendly. The Green Team picks up recycling each week and teaches others about recycling rules. Students learn about environmental issues, make posters with recycling tips that are put up in the school, and celebrated Earth Day at CRES this spring.

4th graders also run our food donations program where all students can put uneaten, unopened food from lunch in the designated refrigerators and the food is taken to Cornerstone weekly by a parent volunteer.

5th Grade: Food for Others

5th grades put together a food drive to collect food donations for Hybla Valley ES during December.

6th Grade: Wolf Trap Park Beautification

6th grade students organize events to help beautify Wolf Trap National Park.

Additional School Wide Service Learning Projects

Rise Against Hunger

Students and families volunteer at CRES for a day of packaging food to send to individuals overseas. All Langley pyramid schools are invited to participate.