Caring School Community and the STR Families Program Foster Kindness and Respect Among Students
St. Raymond School believes in educating the whole person, and prioritizes the development of social and emotional skills in its students. One step taken to foster these skills within the community was the adoption of the Caring School Community program in 2013. This program was designed to help schools expand a culture of kindness and respect among the students, teachers and families.
In 2015, St. Raymond School initiated the St. Raymond School Families program. Students from grades K-8 are placed into school families and take part in a variety of activities throughout the school year that focus on teamwork, kindness, service and faith. Families consist of students from each grade level. An eighth grade student is the family leader, and directs the family activities. When a student starts in a family in Kindergarten, he or she then stays with that family over the years, and in the seventh or eighth grade becomes the family leader.
Led by Colleen Benson - St. Raymond School Targeted Resource Specialist, the students have taken part in workshops, class lessons, and buddy activities to build a sense of community. The key features of this program started with students being taught ways to build respectful and supportive relationships with fellow students, teachers and parents. Families met at the beginning of the year and decided on a family name and focused on growth mindset. They worked together to make individual goals for the 2016-2017 school year.
The school family project is designed to develop and strengthen relationships with students of various ages and backgrounds, build a sense of community across grade levels, and allow the seventh and eight grade students to improve valuable leadership skills. The families came together Friday morning to sing Christmas carols in the gym. They will be getting together throughout the rest of the school year for various activities including arts and crafts, faith based activities, and cooperative projects.