Embedded Files
Our claims in this area of student achievement focus on the development of character and culture at Frank. We examine the impact strong character has for students, staff, and community.
- Character Claim 1, "Frank Elementary students become effective learners through building their growth mindset and reflecting upon CREST and academics." This claim highlights how students are growing their hearts and brains.
- Character Claim 2, "Frank Elementary students are working to become ethical people who demonstrate trustworthiness, empathy, and respect." This claim explains how students become ethical people by setting character goals and celebrating their accomplishments.
- Character Claim 3, "Frank Elementary students collaborate to provide meaningful service to their school and community." This claim showcases how Frank students give back to the their community through acts of service.
CREST
CREST
From the beginning of our EL Journey, the development of character has been an extremely important component. Our driving question was, "What type of character will our students develop throughout their years as a student at Frank Elementary School ?" This took hours of discussion and reflection. In our initial student interviews about character and habits of scholarship, we found that most of the concerns students had were centered around bullying problems and that there was little connection to how their behavior impacted their learning. We have become a school that is very intentional about developing character alongside academics.
When you walk into any of the classrooms at Frank Elementary School you see and feel the character traits of the Frank “CREST” which are; Craftsmanship, Respect, Empathy, Self-discipline, and Trustworthiness. You will see student interactions that are respectful and full of empathy. Students will be using craftsmanship on their work. You will see students using self-discipline and trustworthiness towards their peers and teachers. A former student and parent of students at Frank stated that “Frank is a wonderful place and we really enjoy it and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here.”
The character traits are central to who we are as a school. They are part of the curriculum that has enhanced our school in many ways. Students reflect and work on being more intentional with the character traits in everyday activities. Our students are growing their mindset and skills to be successful for college, career, and life.
Getting Ready to Learn
Getting Ready to Learn
Mindfulness
Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, Frank Elementary was chosen to be the pilot school for a new district-wide mindfulness curriculum. Students and staff at Frank have learned how the brain functions. We've implemented strategies to teach students how to self-regulate their emotions and stay focused on learning.
"We don't want to flip our lid!" Ma'quan, Kindergarten
“We use our prefrontal cortex to make smart choices. We use our hippocampus to remember. When our amygdala comes in charge we flip our lid. To help this we can take heart and belly breaths, touch our fingers saying I can be calm, or take a break.” - Yexeliz, Kindergarten
“Mindfulness helps me a lot… it helps me to learn.” - Keyvonte 3rd grade
IMG_8004.MOV"We are Crew, Not Passengers"
"We are Crew, Not Passengers"
Community Circle
Once a month our entire student body comes together for a crew meeting. At the beginning of our EL Education journey, teachers and staff led the entire meeting. We are proud to be able to have our students and character leaders present at least 90% of the community circle meetings with very little help from teachers and staff.
Morning Crew Meetings
All classrooms hold a morning crew meeting. Each meeting consists of a greeting, reading and daily agenda. Staff and students also include team building activities, reflections, mindfulness breathing activities, and meditations if needed. This has been an expectation and part of our culture since the beginning of our EL journey.
Classroom Commitments
Each crew develops a classroom commitment board. These are created to help establish classroom norms and a sense of community. The commitment boards are carried to each Community Circle and displayed in classrooms.
Closing Circles and Meetings
To end the day, crews gather in circle to reflect on their progress during the day. Many crews celebrate individual and group learning that took place during the day. Students acknowledge their peers for demonstrating character and making academic growth. Crews also use this time to discuss any issues that happened during the day and how they can resolve them.
Vertical Crew
Every student is assigned to a vertical crew that includes peers from all different grade levels and classes along with two staff members. They meet 1-2 times per month. The purpose of vertical crew is for students to develop relationships with peers and staff from other crews. During the 2017-2018 school year, each crew created a beautiful space throughout the school. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, the vertical crews met twice a month on Fridays to eat lunch together and continue to build their crew through activities and lunch-time conversations with their peers. We believe that each student should have more than one trusted adult in the school. Through vertical crew we are helping students develop a deeper feeling of belonging at Frank. Each year the vertical crew members stay together and they add new students while saying good-bye to students that move on to middle school.
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