Culture of Learning

Standard 4: Learners benefit from a formal structure that fosters positive relationships with peers and adults.

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Self-Rating: 3

A formal structure is planned and regularly implemented to promote a culture and climate in which learners receive support from adults and peers. Peer and adult interactions and behaviors routinely demonstrate respect, trust, and concern for one another’s well-being. 

 

The faculty and staff of Chambers Public School have implemented several formal structures to promote a positive culture and climate in learners. These include the following: 

• BOOST

  • BOOST is an afterschool program for elementary students. Many secondary students volunteer time to assist the elementary students during this time.

• Student Appreciation Day

  • This was held in September 2021 to celebrate students. 

• Zones of Regulation

  • An ESU 8 employee trained elementary staff on this program. Students identify their emotions or behaviors and utilize blue, green, yellow, and red zones. 

• Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS)

• Caring Coyotes

  • This is a school-wide program that recognizes kind and thoughtful actions.

• Professional Development

  • Dr. Darrin Peppard, who provided strategies to improve school culture and climate.

  • Laurie Smith, who was named the National Teacher of the Year.

• Student Assemblies

  • Dan Meers, who is best known as KC Wolf, the mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs. He shared the ABCs of Life (Attitude, Behavior, and Character).

  • Mike Donahue, who spoke with students about emotional and social safety and promoting a positive school culture.

• Second Step

  • Second Step is a social-emotional learning program implemented in the elementary that helps students learn and practice valuable social-emotional skills.

• Win at Social

  • Win at Social is a social-emotional learning program used with students in grades 7-12. It helps students build habits and skills that help them handle social pressure.

• Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

  • This framework was implemented to provide targeted support to struggling students. As part of this program, the school contracts with ESU 8 to employ a licensed mental health provider and a school psychologist to meet with students one day each week. 

 

Evidence that learners, families, and educators feel connected to the purpose and work of the institution is evident through their continued participation in daily, weekly, and monthly activities. It has been the goal of Chambers Public School to regularly implement PBIS and MTSS to benefit learners and their relationships peers and teachers. As a result, this jumpstarted a recent program initiated by student council called Caring Coyotes. This program has led to positive behaviors in students as they perform caring and compassionate acts of service towards others. The students are then acknowledged for their positive behavior. The faculty and staff of Chambers Public School also regularly attend professional development opportunities that promote building positive relationships with students, resulting in less negative behavior. 

 

The ongoing goal of Chambers Public School, in alignment with PBIS, is to document behaviors coinciding with the stated values and norms of the school in order to collect data. Although there are times when learners make mistakes, the PBIS team has been implementing natural consequences for some of those behaviors.  

 

The PBIS team has also been designing specific expectations for areas outside of the classroom to be visibly posted. For example, expectations on the bus would be to sit in a seat, have your hands to yourself, and be respectful of the driver. Aside from the bus, expectations are also being created for the bathrooms, hallways, playground, and lunchroom. If certain expectations are not being met in alignment with the mission and beliefs of Chambers Public School, then the learners, their families, and educators are in communication with one another. If those expectations are still unmet after reaching out to those affected, then natural consequences are arranged (i.e., losing bus privileges for a specified amount of time).  

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Activities and other engagements that reflect the mission, beliefs, and expectations of Chambers Public School include the following: ​

• Second Step

  • Second Step is a social-emotional learning program implemented in the elementary that helps students learn and practice valuable social-emotional skills.

• Win at Social

  • Win at Social is a social-emotional learning program used with students in grades 7-12. It helps students build habits and skills that help them handle social pressure.

• BOOST

  • BOOST is an afterschool program for elementary students. Many secondary students volunteer time to assist the elementary students during this time.

• Student Appreciation Day

  • This was held in September 2021 to celebrate students.

• Zones of Regulation

  • An ESU 8 employee trained elementary staff on this program. Students identify their emotions or behaviors and utilize blue, green, yellow, and red zones. 

• Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS)

• Caring Coyotes

  • This is a school-wide program that recognizes kind and thoughtful actions.

• Professional Development

  • Dr. Darrin Peppard, who provided strategies to improve school culture and climate.

  • Laurie Smith, who was named the National Teacher of the Year.

• Student Assemblies

  • Dan Meers, who is best known as KC Wolf, the mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs. He shared the ABCs of Life (Attitude, Behavior, and Character).

  • Mike Donahue, who spoke with students about emotional and social safety and promoting a positive school culture.

Through these activities, students become more aware of their emotions and how those affect their subsequent actions towards themselves and others. Not only did the faculty and staff want to create this awareness for the learners, but also for the educators, too.