Knowing that a strong sense of belonging is the basis for all learning, the team at École Innisfail Middle School has researched and launched a new house structure'.
The approach has been months in the making. It began with a visit to the Ron Clark Academy in South Atlanta where master teachers are transforming classrooms from staid lecture halls into passionate learning centres. The PD experience ignited the administration team and teaching staff further, and the entire Innisfail Middle staff spent several months exploring the concepts and developing the plan.
"It is amazing what they've done at Innisfail Middle," said Superintendent Kurt Sacher. "From a cultural point of view, this approach infuses energy into the entire school. The whole staff is purposeful in their design of the house structure and how it will result in higher levels of learning. They have fully embraced this culture at the school and it will set their students up for success as they move up to Innisfail High School."
Ron Clark, bestselling author of The End of Molasses Classes', was first struck with the power of individual houses' pushing one another to new levels of academic rigor, passion and creativity while he was reading Harry Potter. Setting this foundation, balanced by a strict code of discipline, has galvanized educators from all over the world who now visit the Ron Clark Academy in droves to replicate the success.
"We came back from that experience convinced we could harness that excitement for learning in our school," said Principal Danica Martin. "By the time we strategized our staff placements into their houses, the enthusiasm in our building was palpable. That was even before we got our students involved! Our school was ignited by this momentum from that day forward and it has been wonderful. We all belong to a house, but we also celebrate and support each other as part of our full École Innisfail Middle School community. Focusing on our culture in this way is directly linked to learning outcomes and helping our students achieve their potential - because when kids feel a deep connection with school and know you care about them, they do better. As expected, we are already seeing a high-energy approach to learning in our classrooms."
The staff spent a great deal of time determining the names of the four houses, and the teams of students and staff that would comprise each. Staff wanted to honour the variety of cultures in Innisfail that each carry their own traditions, and the resulting house names were chosen: Ambitie (Dutch word for ambition); Kaawaan (Philipino word for compassion); Opowatum (Cree word for dreamer); and Sagesse (French word for wisdom). Since the launch, students and staff have been proudly showing their house colours.
"We knew something was going on because there were lots of little clues around the school, so some of us started investigating," said Grade 6 student Kylee Nimmo. "Then last Friday there was a big countdown and when we all went into the gym, it was like a huge festival. There were balloons and music - it was really exciting and everyone was cheering as we all found out which house we're in. We all think it's really good, because we're getting to know our school better and everyone is really bonding. Our teachers seem so happy and everyone is pumped - our classrooms are full of people who are really interesting all of a sudden."
