Greetings

Twelve months have passed since the launch of the CEPNZ. During this time, many schools have come to realise the importance of developing a community in which the principles of good character, virtues, can grow.

The CEPNZ has grown into New Zealand's largest provider of character or values based education resources. Making full use of Information Technology, we are able to supply and support schools from one end of the country to the other. Regularly updated, online resources mean that our members have continuous access to new developments and support.

The development of good character is an essential part of becoming a contributing member of society - a good citizen - and is just as vital as gaining academic qualifications. Character Education is about developing the right environment within the school to enable virtue to flourish and become a part of the schools ethos. It is also about nurturing those principles we call virtues, and putting them into practice in everyday situations.

When our students begin to learn that they are expected to be responsible, honest and caring individuals that have respect for authority and the property and rights of others, some of the pressures of teaching are relieved. It has also been stated that the development of good character also leads to greater achievement - within the school and in later life.

We believe it is the duty of all schools to ensure that the environment in which their students are taught is conducive to the development of good character. Through the Character Education Programme of New Zealand, we can supply all schools with the resources to make it happen.

In January this year, we also began supplying the CEPNZ's privately developed "Truancy Resource Pack".

This pack is aimed at co-coordinating the social responsibility of each schools surrounding business community and also reinforces the basic responsibility that parents have toward ensuring that their children attend school and understand their duty with respect to the law. The online reporting system provides the means by which business owners can inform schools directly upon finding a suspected truant in or near their location.

Keep checking our website for further updates and resources. Together, we can make a difference.