Why The Positivity Project Works So Well at Maplewood Elementary School

This article was written by Tina Grabarczyk as a P2 Partner School. With more than two decades of experience in elementary education and school counseling within the Sylvania School District, Tina has supported students as both a classroom teacher and a school counselor at Maplewood Elementary. Her experience implementing The Positivity Project schoolwide—through classroom instruction, counseling practices, and family engagement—provides firsthand insight into how a consistent focus on character strengths and the Other People Mindset can positively shape a school community.

At Maplewood Elementary, we’ve encouraged the creation of a positive, supportive environment for our students and families.  However, we noticed a need to help our students continue to be Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to learn. When we began implementing The Positivity Project into our morning meetings, it created meaningful relationships and communication with our students.

Daily Lessons, Lasting Change

One of the most powerful aspects of The Positivity Project is its consistency. When we began The Positivity Project four years ago, most teachers started with a few lessons a week. Now it has become a daily source of positive lessons, with 100% support from our teachers. Every day, students engage in short, meaningful lessons that explore one of the 24 character strengths. Through stories, videos, and discussions, students learn to recognize these strengths in themselves and others.

Teachers love that the lessons are easy to integrate into the day, and students look forward to them. Some lessons are short conversations about the character strength for the week. Other lessons and discussions are longer and can even become quite emotional and sincere.

Connecting Students and Staff

The Positivity Project hasn’t just transformed student relationships; it’s strengthened connections among staff as well. Teachers have found new ways to recognize and celebrate students’ strengths. Students are recognized monthly for the character strengths that were focused on. Students displaying those strengths receive ice cream as the ice cream truck rolls down the hallways playing music. The students are rewarded, and the other students cheer them on and support them positively for receiving an award. It has created positive behaviors and relationships for the students and they look forward to hearing the ice cream truck music coming down the hallways each month.

Understanding One Another and Building Empathy

The students at Maplewood have become more aware of how their actions affect others and are more willing to lend a helping hand. When conflicts arise, the students now have the tools and language to talk things through. They understand that mistakes are opportunities for growth and that everyone has unique strengths to contribute.

When walking down the hallways of Maplewood Elementary, you can see positive behaviors and actions throughout each day. These positive behaviors are recognized by teachers and staff. We use our Book Vending Machine to reward students that are displaying character strengths throughout the week!

The Ripple Effect Beyond the Classroom

We also have a great school-to-home connection using The Positivity Project. Weekly highlights for the upcoming character strengths are shared in our communication to families. Families have shared that their children bring home the language of character strengths, using it to talk about challenges, friendships, and goals. Parents often tell us that their children now recognize and name positive strengths in siblings, family members, and even themselves.

Morning announcements feature the week’s character strength, giving students and staff a shared focus to carry throughout the day. Bulletin boards showcase students’ reflections on strengths such as bravery and a love of learning. These visual reminders create an environment where students are reminded of positive examples throughout their day.

Strengths in Every Student

One of the greatest outcomes of The Positivity Project has been helping students discover their own unique strengths. By highlighting that everyone possesses all 24 character strengths to different degrees, students have learned that there’s no single definition of success or leadership. Teachers have noticed how this shift has improved classroom dynamics. Instead of focusing solely on academic performance, conversations now include recognition of perseverance, curiosity, and kindness.

Celebrating Growth Together

At Maplewood, we make a point to celebrate our P2 journey throughout the year. During assemblies, students share how they’ve seen character strengths in action. We highlight students daily with Pounce Tickets who go above and beyond to demonstrate being Respectful, Responsible, and Ready. This recognition reinforces that living the Other People Mindset creates connections among students. At Maplewood, we’ve learned that small daily lessons really can make a big impact. The Positivity Project has transformed not just how we teach, but how we see one another.