MUSCATINE, Iowa — Colo-rado Elementary School made an example of the Muscatine Police and Fire Departments — one that shows the students trust local law enforcement and safety officials.

The students, as part of their ongoing character education curriculum, chose to reward police officers and firefighters at an assembly Wednesday with a gift and a thank you for being trustworthy.

The children cheered for friends who performed skits about trust and kindness and sang along with a tune about trusting.

“We hope to teach students about making good choices and to do what’s right,” said school counselor David Schuler.

The first Character Counts assembly was held Wednesday morning. The first of the six-part positive character trait program is trustworthiness. Throughout the rest of the school year, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship will be focused on individually and different grade-levels will take part in preparing for the next assemblies.

For the rest of the school year, people from the community who demonstrate character traits that students are focusing on that month will be invited to the school.

“It could be a business, a person in the government or someone helping out in the school or community,” Schuler said. “It’s a way to say ‘hey, thank you and we appreciate the example you set for the young kids.’”

For trustworthiness, the school’s second-graders were allowed to decide who in the community best represents a positive image and trustworthy behavior, Schuler said. They chose police and firefighters.

Assistant Chief Mike Scott, Lt. Phil Sergeant and officer Scott Burk represented the Muscatine Police Department.

Firefighter-paramedics Anthony Krumbholz and Darrin Brooke, and Capt. Mike Hartman of the Muscatine Fire Depart-ment represented their station.

Each organization was given a large ceramic pot that was filled with chocolates and decorated with silk flowers.

Scott said he views it as an extreme positive that local schools are incorporating positive character into the curriculum in order to raise positive kids in the community.

“Kids are the future. It’s important to us to take the time to be positive and let them know they can count on us,” Scott said.

He added that the Muscatine Police Department likes to be involved with such student activities because in the past, programs such as D.A.R.E., which has since been discontinued, allowed more officer-student interaction. Now there are fewer opportunities to spend time with kids and set examples as role models.

Krumbholz said his fellow firefighters are dedicated to constant training and always have to be ready for the next call, even though they don’t know what it may bring. They also have to trust one another to do their job safely, just a few of the reasons, he said, why  being a firefighter-paramedic calls for strong, trustworthy character.

“Even when we’re not on call and people don’t see us driving to a call, we’re still preparing for whatever might come along,” he said.

The students cheered their guests and had a blast watching a slideshow of candid photos of their classmates from the past few weeks.

An announcement was made that the second-grade class also raised $100 for the Muscatine Center for Social Action homeless shelter. The school will continue to raise money for charity for the rest of the year.

Third-grader, Anna Bixby, 9, said she likes what the Character Counts program is all about. She keeps the rules in mind when she’s interacting with people.

“I know not to lie and to tell the truth,” she said. “I tell my friends the truth and I never forget a promise.”

Reporter contact information

Melissa Regennitter: 563-262-0526

mregennitter@muscatinejournal.com