Educators at Day Creek Intermediate School realize that middle school is a unique moment in students’ academic, social and emotional lives. As Principal David Apodaca notes, “you have to respect the fact that this is a huge transition time in their lives … And if we don’t recognize that and respect that, then academic success… Continue Reading Building Character and Knowledge in Middle School
Village Oaks Elementary School Novi, Michigan Building School Culture by Leading with HEART. One of the most challenging tasks for any new principal is creating school culture, particularly when a strong culture already exists. This podcast walks you through the process Principal Alexander Ofili used at Village Oaks Elementary School in Novi, MI, to do… Continue Reading Audio: Building School Culture by Leading with HEART
Heck-Quaw Elementary School (Belgrade, MT). At Heck-Quaw Elementary, the school counseling curriculum consists of developmentally designed lessons for each grade level (K-4). The lessons focus students on achieving the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for social/emotional development, academic success, and college and career readiness (American School Counselor Association, 2014 Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success:… Continue Reading Successful Mindsets and Behaviors
Willow Creek Elementary School (Centennial, CO). To promote a positive school climate and growth mindsets, Willow Creek focuses on POWER which stands for Persistence, Optimism, We are Flexible, Empathy, and Resilience. The school designates 10-15 minutes daily as POWER Time for activities that teach students a growth mindset and appropriate school behaviors using a common… Continue Reading POWER Time and Videos
Hearts and Minds features Pinewood Elementary School in Jenison, MI, a suburb of Grand Rapids, where teachers and staff found themselves dealing with extreme student behaviors that disrupted learning. When Principal Rachael Postle-Brown and her staff adopted a “Whole School” approach to supporting positive student behaviors, a host of benefits followed. The approach has… Continue Reading Hearts and Minds: Social-Emotional Learning Improves Content Learning
Miles Elementary School (Miles, TX). One school-wide strategy is the implementation of morning yoga. Students are led through a pose daily; each has a purpose (to develop self-awareness, slow down, manage emotions, etc.). Research shows that anxious or stressed children find it impossible to learn. Daily yoga helps create a calm child who is ready… Continue Reading Yoga and Other Calming Tactics
Hillside Academy For Excellence School (Garland, TX). While Hillside is one Eagle family, the family is divided into four “houses.” All students and staff/faculty are members of a specific house. Individuals receive house points for academic performance, acts of responsibility, acts of kindness, and volunteerism. Houses earn parties based of the number of points earned,… Continue Reading A House System
Challenger Intermediate School (Goddard, KS). Each month we concentrate on a different core character trait. Our teachers work with students on the identified trait throughout the month. Our counselor generates content and lessons, and staff regularly teach the content. At the end of the year, we celebrate our students’ success with character trait awards. All awards… Continue Reading Core Character Traits
Lucy Franklin Elementary School (Blue Springs, MO). LFE staff fully appreciate that the quality and character of school life is based on patterns of stakeholders’ experiences and reflects norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures. Specific topics have been addressed to affect LFE climate and culture, including health, wellness, and personal… Continue Reading A Proactive Prevention Framework
The Active Learning Elementary School (TALES) New York City Department of Education Queens, NY The Active Learning Elementary School (TALES), Pubic School 244 in Queens, New York was founded on the belief that giving students high quality nutrition and physical play and teaching them about healthy choices will benefit their academic achievement. Since it opened in 2008,… Continue Reading Revolutionizing School Meals Plus Play