House System Coming Soon!

House Approach

The house approach is intended to encourage a school-wide community where students nurture and encourage each other to be productive citizens.           It allows students to be involved with others outside of their classroom walls in a collaborative team building setting.

Where did it come from?

            The house system is a program modeled after the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Many of our teachers have visited this award-winning school and have seen the benefits of the house system.

What is it?

            It serves several purposes that will greatly benefit the classroom dynamic as well as help foster an environment focused on friendship, compassion, teamwork, confidence, leadership, and accountability.

Friendship?

The bond that builds within a house and within the classroom is amazing to watch. Kids that may normally never get to know each other become the best of friends. Learning to get along with otherwise strangers is a skill that will help build friendships and social skills for students in the future.

Compassion?

Building friendship and teamwork takes a lot of work. Teachers will model opportunities to show compassion to those that need it. A group dynamic leads to compassionate interactions as they work to be a successful house.  

Teamwork?

The whole system is built on working together to accomplish goals. Early on students will struggle with the skills that make a team work. They give and take, and the sharing of ideas will develop and it will help with your learning club interactions as well.

Confidence?

Students will be assigned different rotating roles with their House. Creating opportunities for shy students to shine and lead will create confidence with students.

Leadership?

Working in groups inherently develops leadership. When students assign different tasks to different members of the group, they get opportunities to be leaders. Leadership becomes stronger as it is practiced. Leaders need team followers as well. This is hard for some as they have been alphas their whole life. Following also needs practice.

Accountability?

With the class point system the teachers set-up, students are held accountable to their house. Learning to be held accountable and learning to respectfully hold others accountable are extremely important skills for future leaders and 21st century citizens.

How does it work?

The school staff and students will be split into 4 houses. Houses are selected randomly and each classroom will have approximately the same amount of students in each House. Each House will work together to earn points. Houses will earn monthly and yearly rewards.

How do they earn points?

Each teacher will set up a management system that will allow Houses to earn points.

What is the sorting ceremony?

The sorting ceremony is a way for each teacher/grade level to randomly sort their class into houses. Each teacher/grade level is working to come up with ways to make this an exciting activity.

What else?

Every other Friday all house members (students and staff) will gather in their corresponding color hall for a house meeting. During the meetings the house leaders (eventually moving towards student led meetings) will give pep talks about using the 7 Habits, being a leader, building an entire school community, etc.