We are a Capturing Kids' Hearts campus, meaning we implement a national program aimed at improving the relationship between teachers and students. This is done through promoting greater interpersonal relationships.

Click here to go more in depth about the foundation from the founder himself Flip Flippen.

Primary Skills CKH Focuses on:

1. The EXCEL Leadership/Relationship/Teaching Model™

2. The Social Contract

3. Four Questions for Misbehavior

4. Four Questions for Disrespect

5. SOLER Listening Skills

The EXCEL Model

• Engage: we greet students positively each day with a handshake and check in with how they are feeling that morning.

• Xplore: we identify student's needs academically, emotionally, and personally so we can accommodate their learning best.

• Communicate: communication is a two-way street. Teacher and student dialogue is necessary for learning.

• Empower: students gain the ability to "use and do" skills taught by the teacher.

• Launch: we end the day and send students on their way with a positive take-away for the day.

Social Contracts

Each class has their own unique Social Contract. The Social Contract is designed to let all participants in a classroom or school know what behavior is acceptable and what is not. It is an agreement of behavior to promote a self managing class.

Using the Social Contract, the teacher is able to create more self-managing classrooms as each student takes responsibility and ownership for his or her own behavior.

1. How do you want me to treat you?

2. How do you want to treat each other?

3. How do you think I want to be treated?

4. How will we handle violations of the contract?

Four Questions for Misbehavior

These questions help the student focus on the behavior, demonstrate that he/she knows what behavior is expected, own up to the fact that he/she is not doing what is expected, and determine what he/she should be doing instead.

1. Excuse me . . . What are you doing?

2. What are you supposed to be doing?

3. Are you doing it?

4. What are you going to do about it?

Four Questions of Disrespect

These questions help the students recognize that communication with the teacher should be respectful, just as a teacher communicated with students respectfully. They must recognize their own actions and take control of their language and syntax in the classroom.

1. Excuse me . . . whom are you talking to?

2. How are you supposed to be talking to me?

3. Were you doing it?

4. So, how are you going to talk to me?

SOLER Model for Listening Skills

The Chinese symbol for the word “listen” involves characters for “ears, eyes, heart, you, and undivided attention”. To listen effectively to another person, you must “listen with your ears, eyes, and heart with your undivided attention”. Sometimes we want to convey that we are listening, but we may not know how to show the other person that we are doing that.

• S= Square up to the person you are listening to

• O= Open posture

• L= Lean in

• E= Eye contact

• R= Relax and Respond

• Start dinner with “Good Things” each night by asking, “Tell me about something good that happened today.”

1. After one person shares, asks a question about their story.

2. Continue until everyone has shared something good about their day.

• Help each other practice listening to each other with their eyes, ears, heart, and undivided attention.

• As a family, come up with a meaningful phrase to share with each other each time you say good - bye, good night, etc.

• Write affirmations to each other frequently. Have a place in your home where these can be placed until they are received - similar to a mailroom or command center.

• Use the 4 Questions at Home; this will help your children focus on appropriate behaviors and connections between school and home by using the 4 Questions with your child.