The smell of glue, crayons and
construction paper, the sight my first grade teacher’s smile- Mrs. Early Mae
Matthews (the tone of her voice “Now, Randy, you are not going to do that.”),
and the sounds of ditto machines going around and around… We all have early
impressions of the school environment.
We can all remember childhood moments when we felt particularly safe or
unsafe in school, when we felt particularly connected to a caring adult or
frighteningly alone, when we felt particularly engaged in meaningful learning
or not. These are the school memories that we all tend to vividly remember:
good and/or bad. It is not surprising that these kinds of experiences shape
learning and development.
School climate is larger than any
one person's experience. When people work together, a group process emerges
that is bigger that any one person's actions. A positive school climate is
associated with academic achievement, effective risk prevention efforts,
positive youth development and inviting physical surroundings.
In hopes of fostering an even more
positive school environment, Mrs. Katrina Roper Smith and the elementary staff
of HHS recently created thematic halls.
Thanks to all who participated.
We are sure that the students enjoy being educated in such a positive
manner and environment.
