SCHOLARS
HONORED
RESPECTED
VALUED
IN THIS ROOM, YOU
ARE...
LOVED
READY TO
FAMILY
APPRECIATED
PARTICIPATE
WELCOME
Strategies to Strengthen and
Promote a Positive School
Climate
Presented by Leah Chamberlain, Kristina Grundmanis, Herman Ruddell
Welcome! Who is welcoming you?
We are students of Gonzaga University's Master of School
Counseling Program
We are currently interns at the Elementary and Middle
School level in Spokane and Cheney School Districts
Did you participate in our Kindness Jar Challenge?
How We Individually Influence School
Climate
Evaluate your own behavior:
1.) "If everybody where I work was just like me, what would this place be like?"
2.) "If my face froze in my most common expression, what would it be?"
3.) "If as many people helped me today as I helped others, how much help would I
get?"
4.) "If today was videoed for my peers, what would be their criticisms? What would
be their accolades?"
5.) "If I became just like the two people I choose to be around the most at work what would I become?
Advocacy within the school
 What does it mean to be an advocate for students?
 Starting clubs/groups
 Student Success Team
 Sharing your role
 Celebrating successes
Presentation is everything
Activity: Word Scrambles
Sometimes we don't have everything clearly spelled out for us.
How do you respond?
Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
Growth includes:
Fixed includes:
 Believing in change
 Haves and Have-nots
 Focus on the process and effort
 You are either right or wrong
 Learning from failure
 Focus on benchmarks, scores, and
status
 Pushes through difficulty
 Tendency to give up
Learn more from Carol Dweck's book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success"
Building a Growth Mindset
1. Am I a learner?
2. How does my brain work?
3. How does learning change my brain?
4. Can I grow what I know?
5. Am I persistent in solving problems?
6. Do I seek or avoid challenges?
7. How do I know I am doing my best?
8. Is this an opportunity to learn?
9. Why are mistakes wonderful?
10. Do I have a growth mindset?
http://community.mindsetworks.com/blog-page/homeblogs/entry/a-growth-mindset-year-at-lenox-academy
Students
Student Council school climate
surveys
Student lead morning
announcements
School Spirit Week/School gear
Fridays
Door decorating competitions
Random acts of kindness
Guidance lessons and leadership
classrooms
ACTIVITY: High Five or Pat On the
Back
We can use our hands to support one another and show we care!
Appreciating Our Own
http://www.ted.com/talks/jarrett_krosoczka_why_lunch_ladies_are_he
roes
Staff
"Staffer of the Month" nominated by other staff
Secret Pals
Appreciation
days/weeks/months
"WOW!" Notebook
Staff (cont.)
Recently started by the Hospitality
Committee:
• School Crow!
• This skeleton travels around the
school.
• When it arrives, the staffer adds
something to the skeleton.
• Move the crow to another staffer's
area!
Activity: Magnets
What is something specific you think another individual needs to hear? Add it to a magnet!
School Wide
Mentorship programs
Motivation/Engagement groups
Monthly character traits
PBIS
Eco-Challenge
School Wide Examples
Great Kindness Challenge
8 Key's of Excellence
Social Hour
On holidays and other significant
days during the year (about
once a quarter), take half a day
of class to care for students.
Ideas:
Atten-DANCE
HONOR ROLLerblading
Mentorship Builds Connections
 Brain Break!
 Peer mediation
 Peacemakers
 Take two for you
 (social support)
 Find an elbow buddy!
 We'll keep time.
 Peace Path
 Activity!
Parental Involvement
 Dad's Night, Mom's Night, and Grandparent's Night
 Muffins for Moms
 Donuts for Dads
Community Wide
 Community Care Crew
 Community Garden
 Attendance Review Teams: ART, CAST, Truancy Board
 Community Resource Fair (Open House)
 Career Fair
What "Spark" do you have within you?
Final Thoughts: Are you inspired?
www.polleverywhere.com/kristinagrun514
Additional Resources
• GU School Counselor Blog: http://gonzagascblog.blogspot.com/
• Resilience education program: http://www.whytry.org/
• Establishing healthy relationships: http://checkandconnect.umn.edu/
• 8 key's of Excellence: http://www.8keys.org/
• The Great Kindness Challenge: http://www.greatkindnesschallenge.org/
• PACE character program: http://pacecommunity.org/
Never doubt that a
small group of
thoughtful, committed
citizens can change
the world, indeed it is
the only thing that
ever has.
- Margaret Mead
Thank you for coming!
Presentation brought to you by:
Leah Chamberlain lchamberlain2@zagmail.gonzaga.edu
Kristina Grundmanis grundmanisk@gmail.com
Herman (Rick) Ruddell hruddell@zagmail.gonzaga.edu
With supervision provided by:
Dr. Wissel - wissel@gonzaga.edu