Whole Child Education

Catena School is a model of progress. It is a place where relationships matter, activity abounds, and learning reaches beyond classroom walls and into the outside world. At Catena, every day offers highly engaging opportunities for students to “pass on” compassion and to self-monitor their behavior. Catena is committed to a constant reevaluation of student needs, and staff work toward improving the depth and breadth of their instructional approaches. A common language permeates every space at Catena. The modeling of respectful, responsible, and safe behavior sends clear and consistent messages.
 

This is a large elementary school that is growing rapidly and facing overcrowding as new housing is built and new families move into the attendance zone. Despite significant population growth over the past five years, disciplinary referrals have declined. Recent positive school-climate goals include the building of students’ sense of competence, especially in girls, and continuing work on the school’s new bully-reporting system. Stakeholders are playing a key part of the development of the school kids, infact according to principal Mary Kleekamp, “Parents are integral members of our learning community and volunteer countless hours to ensure the success of all our students.”
 

The staff, parents, and students at Martha Brown Middle School work as a team to develop a friendly, nurturing environment that fosters positive self-esteem, mutual respect, and responsibility. The school recognizes individual learner styles and offers diverse opportunities that promote academic, physical, social, and emotional growth. Martha Brown influences students during their critical transitional years, striving to develop critical thinkers whose spirit of inquiry creates a lifelong love of learning and helps its students become contributing members of society.
 

Crestdale Middle School (PDF) is a 2012 North Carolina Middle School Association Redesignated School to Watch for its demonstrated academic success. Students are happy, excited to be at Crestdale, and proud of the activities available to them. The culture of the school provides all students access to challenging and engaging educational experiences. An Academic Enrichment Class Period ensures that students are both remediated and accelerated . Ther school's high expectation objectives are posted everywhere to be visible for all students and faculty. Crestdale is consistently being recognized as a School of Excellence or School of Distinction every year. Faculty and students are proud of their accomplishments.
 

Apple Valley Middle School (PDF) is located in rural North Carolina in one of the Nation's largest apple-producing areas. Eventhough the school has a high percentage of disadvantaged students, the school thrives and is continually striving to reach higher growth. The school atmosphere is warm and welcoming and is supported by the community in many ways. A variety of partners in the community, including counselors, mediators, and community support centers, support the work at Apple Valley. Faculty, staff, and students see the principal as the person who holds the school together, but they also see the administrative staff as a well-balanced team. The school is the heart of the community and is heavily involved in helping the community it serves.
 

Seventy-First Classical Middle School (PDF) located in Fayetteville, N.C., is a 100% School of Choice. This school demonstrates tremendous academic success and has been labeled a School of Excellence in North Carolina since 1998.The students and staff appear happy, and there is valuable input and buy-in from stakeholders when making
decisions for the school. Parents are very pleased with programs and the care and concern shown by teachers and staff. Seventy-First Classical Middle meets the needs of their students, parents, teachers, and staff in an environment where excellence is expected, yet students are nurtured."
 

Rugby Middle School (PDF) is a 2012 North Carolina Middle School Association Redesignated School to Watch. Located in rural western North Carolina, the school takes meeting the students needs seriously. Rugby is a "community of practice, going beyond rhetoric to reality." Teachers, staff, and administrators do whatever is necessary, creating clear-cut, well-understood expectations for everyone in the building. All students are eager to talk about how good their school is and how much they enjoy being there. The school feels warm, safe, and inviting, providing a rich teaching and learning experience for all.
 

Crestwood serves a diverse population, with 15 different languages spoken at home and the highest poverty level in the district. Despite the many challenges of meeting the needs of a diverse population, Crestwood has the highest student achievement among the district’s elementary schools, recently receiving the Missouri Gold Star Award and the National Blue Ribbon Award. Character education, which has been in place at Crestwood since 1989, has evolved into a “way of life,” according to Jim Simpson, the district superintendent. This is a warm and welcoming school with a strong camaraderie among staff, students, and parents. Principal Scott Taylor describes his staff as “wonderful, caring, loving, and great teachers who have high expectations for all students.”
 

“We are not a good school, we are a great school!” This is the chant in which principal Mike Dawson leads students, staff, parents, and community members each Monday morning at the all-school character assembly. The chant reminds all stakeholders that the school has a vision for success which includes every student. Dawson attributes his students’ steady academic gains to the systematic implementation of character education. “Once the culture and climate changed, teachers were more trusting and able to plan for student success. Now, we have an aligned curriculum, systematic formative and common assessment data collection, a seamless approach to intervention, and an online curriculum resource available to parents and teachers.” Despite a mobility rate of 35 percent, parents feel welcome in the building, and as proof of community support, a recent school bond passed with 75 percent approval.
 

Hallways at Union Elementary are covered with evidence of the students’ character-related work: from anti-bullying pledges, to individual student goals, to fundraising efforts to support the family of a student with cancer. More than 3,000 paper chain links—each representing an act of kindness—hang in the hallways; students have a goal of making the chain extend around the entire school. Union has a dedicated staff that does whatever it takes to meet the needs of all students, a number of whom live in severe poverty. Students, parents, and community members contribute to the cleanliness and maintenance of the school and school grounds. Teachers not only model core beliefs and caring for others, but they are also overwhelmingly positive and welcoming, and they work together to solve problems. As both teachers and parents emphasize repeatedly, the belief that “there are no bad students” pervades the Union community.