Coles Elementary School, Manassas, VA Coles Elementary has a diverse student body, representing 13 different languages and 15 countries. The staff of 60 is also diverse, representing 13 countries and nine languages. School staff strongly believe that building relationships, providing opportunities for student leadership, teaching students life skills, and facilitating a sense of community are Read More
Tabb Elementary School, Yorktown, VA Tabb Elementary School is located near five military installations. In the 2021-22 SY, 49% of the 694 students were military-connected students, making it the second largest military-connected elementary school in the district. Since military families often change assignments, the school experiences a high student mobility rate (25%). To address the Read More
Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, Philadelphia, PA The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush High School is a public magnet school in the School District of Philadelphia. Rush hired a Climate Manager who focuses on keeping a stable climate by supporting social and emotional learning and facilitating difficult conversations. He introduced Relationships First (RF), which is Read More
Wydown Middle School, (Clayton, MO). Wydown Middle School prides itself on being a top-performing school in Missouri; however, we have struggled with closing the opportunity gaps for our African American students. After we set goals, we evaluated systems and structures, and prioritized immediate actions. We hosted evening fishbowl conversations with parents about their experiences. We Read More
George Hersey Robertson School (GHR), (Coventry, CT). GHR prides itself on high student achievement and on fostering student growth emotionally, physically, socially, and culturally. To support this work, Coventry Public Schools recently adopted a district-wide Portrait of a Graduate (POG) statement: “Our graduates are empowered learners who have the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
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: Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More