Every month at Eagle View Elementary School, there is an intentional focus on social-emotional learning on a Patriot Pride trait.
This year’s focus has included Problem Solving, Mindfulness, Manners, Communication, Responsibility, Honesty, and Gratitude. Classrooms weave these activities into weekly lessons, classroom meetings, read alouds and discussions.
This last month of the school year the theme of focus for Eagle View is Sportsmanship. There are five characteristics of good sportsmanship that can be applied in many areas of life:
- Be supportive.
- Have a positive attitude.
- Be respectful.
- Be willing to learn.
- Have self-control.
Assemblies this year have changed to a virtual format and the last few have involved games reviewing expectations. After the last assembly, one of our Eagle View students excitedly pointed out how the poem on the lower stairway supports sportsmanship: “This is about being a good sport, and being kind!”
This is just one of many visuals in the hallways to help students remember Patriot Pride and positive expectations.
“Be the Nice Kid”
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“Some kids will be smarter than you, some kids have cooler clothes than you,
"Some kids are better at sports than you. It doesn’t matter. You have your thing too.
"Be the kid who can get along. Be the kid who is generous.
"Be the kid who is happy for other people. Be the kid who does the right thing.
"Be the nice kid.”
- Bryan Stavnak
This is a powerful message about embracing and celebrating differences. Good sportsmanship comes with recognizing that we all have the ability to learn and grow. As Tina Boogren reminds us, we need to embrace our “flawsomeness." An element of good sportsmanship is rooted in connections and kindness.
This year we celebrate how students and staff adapted to the many changes, keeping relationships and connections a priority at EV with intentional focus as we embraced learning with distance. So how do we build meaningful connections with our students at school?
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We build community in our classrooms. We greet them, talk with them, get to know them and have classroom meetings. We ensure they know the expectations and then celebrate positive choices.
Throughout our planning for this year, the Eagle View Leadership Team felt it was essential to prioritize relationships and connections with students and families, even with distance. Some of the creative ways we overcame challenges to build community and connect this year were virtual open house and conferences, small group instruction with distance, PE outside (almost all year), Nature Center time for mask breaks, recess zones, twice-a-month Eagle View Update, and all-school virtual assemblies.
An article read recently discussed the balance of kindness and assertion. The goal is for students to be kind, to accept others, embrace differences and care about each other. It’s ensuring our children know what kindness is, but also having connections at school and home so they are comfortable speaking up for themselves and for others.
We need children to be kind and treat each other well, and yet if they see unkind or unsafe action, to speak up. That happens when they have connections with adults they trust and know will assist when needed. This transfers to good sportsmanship.
Families give children roots and the wings to fly. Schools, like Eagle View, support that foundation and reinforce the expectations of respect, responsibility and safety through an intentional focus on relationships.
Working together, let’s make sure all of our children are rooted in kindness and connections, “being the nice kid” with great sportsmanship in all areas of life.
Melissa Hesch is principal at Eagle View Elementary School.
