Part of the mission of the Alexander Central School District is to provide a structured, safe and caring environment.  We take that mission very seriously, and we are continually looking for ways to ensure that we are upholding that commitment to our students.  Safety and structure come in the form of supervision, organization and security through tools and strategies like our emergency plans as well as practices like our sign in and ID requirements.  We continue to look at ways to maintain and improve our levels of safety and structure. That brings us to a caring environment. Everyone here cares deeply about our students, and that is evident in the daily efforts that everyone here puts into the work of planning and delivering quality instruction, as well as looking out for the physical and emotional needs of our students.  Another part of this is the way in which we both recognize the positive decisions and actions of our students and in how we approach the need to help children recognize when they have made a poor choice and how to make a better one.

Over the years, we have recognized students through individual classroom recognitions, Student of the Month recognitions and other celebrations of all of the good choices that students make.   On the other hand, we have sought to correct student behaviors or choices when necessary. If you have had students in the school for any amount of time, you are probably familiar with clip charts, class dojo and other similar classroom management tools used by teachers.  These are all used to reinforce the notion that we care about children and their choices, and to promote safety in the school.

Last spring, a committee was formed, led by teachers who saw a need to have more consistent expectations and practices in place to help students understand what kind of choices we want them to make, and to know clearly what the consequences would be if they did not meet the expectations that were established.  One of the goals of this group was to identify a school-wide set of expectations and practices that would make it easier for students and staff alike to be able to explain exactly how we expect students to carry themselves and why. They were also looking for a way to continue to recognize students for the good choices they make, and create a consistent set of consequences designed to help students when they have trouble making good choices or meeting the expectations that are established.  

After discussing different options, the committee decided to use an approach that has already begun in the elementary with great success--the 55 Essentials established by our 5th grade academy, based on the work of Ron Clark and the Ron Clark Academy.  From the committee, grade levels began to compile abbreviated essentials, as 55 are far too many for students at most grade levels. So, beginning with 8 in Kindergarten and working up to the 55 in fifth grade, we have assembled what we are calling the Alexander Essentials.  Each classroom teacher will be sending home more specific information about the Essentials for each grade level and how the plan looks in the classroom.

One of the benefits of having a schoolwide practice is the ability to come together as a school to have a common discussion about our expectations and to recognize students for their achievements in these areas.  As the committee continued its work, one of our teachers introduced a song that she had shared in her classroom that had made a significant impact on her students. It’s called “The Champion” by Carrie Underwood, and the lyrics are a challenge and an encouragement to keep working and to be the best that you can be--a champion.  At one point in the song, the word is used as an acronym, and the committee decided to use this as a centerpiece for the Essentials, as the acronym embodies the traits we are looking to instill in our students, as well as in ourselves:

Courage, Honor, Attitude, Motivation, Perseverance, Integrity, Optimism, Necessary
The song goes on to say, “They say that every champion is all about his principles.”  That is what we are striving to teach our students. We want them to recognize the importance of being an individual of principle.  We will use the CHAMPION acronym and the Essentials as the foundation for what we teach our students about their choices. We want to see them making choices that help them be a champion by reflecting these traits through their words and actions, as made visible by the behaviors that the Essentials highlight.  We will focus on a trait every month from October through May and plan different schoolwide activities like assemblies, special days, student recognitions and other activities to reinforce what the trait means, what it looks like, how we can live it out and to recognize students that are exemplifying them. These schoolwide activities and recognitions will help reinforce the concept of community and help the students see the value in making the right choices and in living out these traits and the essentials.  

Teachers will be sending home letters that explain how the Essentials will be monitored in the classroom.  We have been very thoughtful through this process, and we do not want to make any of this feel to students like it is a “gotcha” or that it is focused only on poor choices or actions, but at the same time, we want to ensure consistent application of the expectations that we have for our students, and that means that when a student makes a poor choice, there will be some consequences.  A great deal of thought has gone into these plans, and they are the same in every classroom at an individual grade level, in order to maintain consistency. The goal is to promote the positive behaviors and choices, allow room for mistakes, and give students appropriate consequences when they are warranted.

I encourage you to contact your child’s teacher or me if you have any questions about the Essentials, what it means to be a CHAMPION, or any part of this process.  This is a new endeavor for all of us, and with anything new, we will no doubt see things along the way that we can adapt or improve, and we welcome your feedback as you hear from your children and see how they respond to the Essentials and the classroom plans.  We are grateful for your support, recognizing that you play the most important role in your child's life, and we are excited to do what we can to help our students grow into young people of principle. Enjoy the remaining days of the summer!