School leaders: 4 ways to promote positive school culture

Did you know that October is Principal Appreciation Month, and that the second full week of October is School Administrator Week? Well, we’re putting on our party hats and sprinkling the confetti, because the Along team wants to shout from the rooftops that we love our school administrator community!

We had the privilege of hosting an in-person meet-up for a group of our school leaders last spring, to network and learn from each other. That opportunity, plus the many conversations we have with school administrators throughout the year, help us continually inform our platform to make Along as responsive as possible to the needs of schools.

In honor of principals and school administrators, we wanted to share some recent stories about how the power of teacher-student relationships is making a difference at schools around the country. Here are some highlights from school leaders:

• Malcolm Connor, assistant principal at Brooklyn Collegiate High School in New York: A consistent, positive culture is cultivated on campus by focusing on the wellbeing of staff. He introduced a “Wellness Wednesday” newsletter for staff, focused on practices to benefit their health. “On Wednesdays, I send out the Along question we are working on in class, and activities for staff members, even a quote,” said Connor. “This keeps the environment warm and inviting.” 
• Cindy Rimmer, school leader at Middle Park High School in Granby, Colorado: Creating a thriving campus with engaged students is the goal, so Rimmer implemented a Principal’s Cabinet that “elevates student voice and empowers students to take action.” Made up of students, the Cabinet helps identify projects to improve the campus, such as adding furniture to upgrade classrooms and offering higher-end soap in student bathrooms.
  
  Read this blog to learn even more about these stories.
• Celeste Akiu, school leader at Holy Family Catholic Academy in Honolulu: Akiu introduced Along to her full staff at the beginning of the school year to ensure buy-in around goals centered on teacher-student connections. “I was very clear on my ‘why’ because teachers don’t want to get behind just any ‘new flavor of the month,’” she said. “When children feel invisible or that they are not heard, the learning doesn’t happen. You need to have connections.” Read more about Akiu’s story here.
• Nicole Fisher, school leader at Highview Sixth Grade Center in Middletown, Ohio: With a school that only serves one grade level, building connections quickly is critical to create positive student outcomes. Fisher uses Along to offer a customized way for teachers at the campus to build bonds with the students. “Each year can feel very different on our campus, depending on the group of kids who are here, and this gives us a way to see how these relationships are going,” she said. “Along gives [teachers] a bank of options to choose from to get to know their students.” Check out this blog post about Fisher and her campus.

You can read the Along blog for more stories about how school leaders are using the platform. And if you’re interested in bringing Along to your school, we want to hear from you. Schedule a demo today!