We all know how important belonging is to each of
us. From the time we are born, we are hard wired to seek out a sense of
belonging and connection. We also know this is specifically true for the
students at our schools. The sense of belonging is so strong that research
tells us it is very difficult for students to learn when they do not feel they
belong. So… what can we do? As a school we know we only have control over our
school community and environment. But, that is huge. We have the opportunity to
make sure each student feels a strong sense of belonging and is connected to at
least one adult at school.
As a school we understand how important it is to
start each day new again. We have committed to greet each student at the door
every morning. Not just a greeting, a genuine and personal greeting. It is the
first step in each child’s sense of belonging. As we work together to set the
tone for the day, we are also building a strong relationship with our students
that will manifest itself for each student by increasing their willingness and
ability to learn,
As a school, we have also agreed that screaming,
yelling, sarcasm, cruel and unkind words, and humiliation are not in the best
interest of students and will not happen in our classrooms. We are working very
hard to continue to have conversations with each other to monitor our tone and
affect because we believe our kids deserve it.
Each of us, from classroom teacher to cafeteria
worker, comes to work each day for one reason. That reason is we love kids. Our
staff is committed to our kids and we all work hard, everyday, to ensure their
sense of belonging. We are working on putting together a video that shows our
morning greetings. This will be the first of many video opportunities that will
showcase what we do and who we are at Holiday Park.
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