Page 24 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2024 At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, West Lincoln-Broadwell School in Lincoln implemented a new program that is designed to cultivate positive character traits in students and the community. The “Six Houses One Family” project “gives students the opportunity to connect with students across grade levels. It promotes unity, positive character traits, a sense of pride and belonging, and school-wide community.” Within the program there are six “houses,” the house of Tenacity, house of Empathy, house of Positivity, house of Respect, house of Integrity, and the house of Responsibility. To explain the new program, a letter went out at the beginning of the school year to parents. The letter defined the new initiative saying that it would help to “enhance the already amazing climate and culture at our school.” WLB teachers, faculty and students building strong houses with great character The letter added, “These houses will have students of all grade levels in them as well as a variety of staff members. Students and staff will work together throughout the year to build strong bonds and relationships that will allow them to feel more connect to our school. Our goal is for students to fee as if they truly know all the staff and students in our school and that we are untied as one.” Parents were also encouraged to participate in the process by asking their children about their respective houses and by wearing along with their children the “house colors” when attending school functions, and of course, by getting involved in the school community when the opportunities arise. On the first day of school, teachers and faculty joined the students in a fun adventure as every person in the school was assigned to their house for the school year. After school began at 8:05 a.m. a school assembly was called at 8:30 a.m. Everyone assembled in the gymnasium for a welcome back to the new school year. Then the program was slated to move outside. There the teachers were assigned as the “house leaders” and learned what house they would represent by receiving an envelope, opening it, then running to the slide and going down then running to the designated area where their house group would gather. This same process was followed by all faculty and then the students. At 10 a.m. the first house meetings were called. Everyone was to go to the designated area where they would be welcomed by the house leaders, talk about their house name, and make up a chant or cheer to suit their house. Continued --
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