Healthy Culture

The shared values, beliefs, written and unwritten rules, assumptions and behavior of stakeholders within the school community that shape the school's social norms and create opportunities for everyone to be successful.

Kimball Public Schools (KPS) is in its 5th year of implementing the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBiS) Program. As part of PBiS, the school community has developed expectations for all the various areas of the facilities. These expectations can be found posted throughout the school buildings. These expectations are also included in the student/parent and staff handbooks along with the district newsletter which makes stakeholders aware of the school expectations. The staff has also developed and adopted teacher expectations through collaboration.

The Junior High students are placed into homeroom groups as part of the Stepping Stones program, which is established to promote positive participation, social and academic behavior. Chess club is also available to Junior High students which creates a positive interaction outside of normal school hours. At the High School level, the Kimball Prevention Coalition (KPC) works to create awareness about the culture being created at school and encourage the student population to be aware of the choices they make and to aim to make better lifestyle choices. Longhorns Committed takes this ideal a step further and delves into the healthy lifestyle choices students should be making and how sleep and nutrition play a huge role in their academic and athletic successes. There is also a Students Taking a New Direction (STAND) committee that students can participate in along with an Interact Club that promotes community service.

There is a TEAMMATES program available for students which provides mentors who meet with the students once a week and participate in special activities. KPS also has an active Crisis Team, and in times of crisis outside counselors are made available for students and staff. Through PBiS, the Check-In/Check-out (CICO) program is currently being implemented which is meant to help at risk students stay accountable for their behavior and academic success throughout the school day.

As a means of continuing and growing a Healthy Culture at KPS, surveys are given each year to see how students, staff, parents/guardians and stakeholders perceive the learning environment of the school. Staff, parents/guardians and community members receive Alert Now calls from the school on upcoming events, notices or changes in schedule or other important information concerning the school. KPS has also purchased and implemented Canvas, which is a learning management system that aims to improve communication between staff members and students/parents/guardians.

Professional development time, which includes Professional Learning Communities (PLC), provides opportunities for staff to collaborate with each other about improving the culture and curriculum within the school. Teachers are also involved in programs such as the Backpack program, which provides food packages for students in the district who are in need. The Kimball Education Association (KEA) provides funding through a program called Kids First, which provides mini-grants to help teachers and students with educational needs. The Kimball School Foundation also provides financial relief for teachers and students through grants.


Documentation:

Longhorns Committed:

AdvancED Climate and Culture Surveys: