From Morning Meetings to Mentoring: Integrating P2 School-Wide
By Lauren DavisThis article was written by Lauren Davis, school counselor at Olds Elementary in Wake County Public Schools, North Carolina. With 15 years of experience as a school counselor and 12 years at Olds Elementary, Lauren is passionate about helping students build character, connection, and confidence every day.
At Olds Elementary, every day begins and ends with connection, reflection, and character. Through our Strong Start Playbook and Positivity Project (P2) lessons, we’re helping students grow into kind, confident, and caring members of our PACK each and every day.
Morning Meetings: Setting a Positive Tone Every Day
Each morning, teachers lead a 15-minute Morning Meeting to build classroom community and introduce the week’s P2 character strength. These moments set a positive tone for the day and help students see the “Other People Mindset” in everything they do. Each morning, teachers gather their students in a circle to greet one another, share ideas, and set a positive tone for the day. These 15-minute meetings include: a greeting that helps everyone feel seen and valued, a sharing that strengthens empathy and listening skills, group activities that promote teamwork and joy, a morning message that connects to the week’s Positivity Project character strength, and our PACK focus.
Closing Circles: Ending the Day With Reflection
At the end of the day, students gather for a 10-minute Closing Circle to reflect, share successes, and end the day on a positive note. These daily routines are key to helping students feel connected and supported at school. During that time, they celebrate moments when students demonstrated a P2 character strength, reflect on how they showed PACK behavior throughout the day, share appreciation or “shout-outs” for classmates, and set a goal for the next day. These circles help students process their learning, recognize positive choices, and leave school feeling connected and proud.
Morning Meetings and Closing Circles support our school-wide commitment to social-emotional learning, PBIS, and the Positivity Project. They nurture respectful relationships, increase student engagement, and remind every PACK member that we are all part of something special at Olds Elementary.
The Staff Strong Start Playbook
Our Staff Strong Start Playbook provides teachers with a clear roadmap for SEL and character education. It includes: Character Cards to guide classroom discussions, Book lists that connect stories to both our school theme and P2 strengths. And Quarterly Character Breakfast Assemblies, where we celebrate students who model strong character and leadership. This playbook ensures that every classroom teaches and reinforces the same positive values throughout the week.
Weaving P2 Into Our PBIS System
The Positivity Project is deeply woven into our PBIS system. You’ll see it in our PACK posters across the building — reminding students to be Prepared, Accountable, Collaborative, and Kind. Each expectation connects to how we treat others, reinforcing the Positivity Project’s Other People Mindset. Our counselor also keeps the message fresh by updating the Positivity Project bulletin board each week and shares the character strength poster on morning announcements. The counselor and our PE teacher read that week’s quote, definition, why that strength matters and other character strengths within that week’s strength. The entire PACK is exposed to the character strength at the same time, so we are all on the same page at the same time.
PACK Pups: Mentoring That Brings the “Other People Mindset” to Life
One of our favorite traditions at Olds Elementary is PACK Pups, which pairs our younger students (Kindergarten–2nd grade) with our older students (3rd–5th grade) for mentoring and friendship.
Through PACK Pups, students meet regularly to get to know each other, read together, and complete character-building activities. Younger students gain positive role models who show them what it means to be Prepared, Accountable, Collaborative, and Kind — while older students develop leadership, empathy, and responsibility. The PACK Pup Program strengthens our school family and gives every student a sense of belonging. It’s a beautiful example of our P2 motto in action: “Other People Matter.”
What the Data Shows: Students Feel They Belong
Every student fills out a beginning-of-the-year survey and an end-of-the-year survey, and one of the questions we ask is if they feel like the students at Olds care about them.
The data over the past several years has shown that students truly feel that others care about them. The Positivity Project has played such an important role not only in helping individuals grow, but also in helping student friendships and relationships get stronger over the years.
Family Engagement
Families are part of the journey, too! During events like Family Learning Night, when families come to school to learn about many different topics. Also, State of the Schools, where our principal teaches parents about what happens in our building each day and what our data shows. Parents learn more about how to support P2 strengths at home and help students practice positive character in their everyday lives.
Building a School Where Every Student Feels Valued
At Olds Elementary, we are proud of the growth, connection, and community our PACK has built together. This year, our focus continues to be on academic excellence, social-emotional learning, and school-wide belonging — ensuring every student feels seen, supported, and successful.
By integrating P2 into everything we do — from classroom lessons to assemblies to family partnerships — Olds Elementary continues to build a school where every student feels valued and empowered. Together, we’re creating a culture where character counts, relationships matter, and every child gets a Strong Start to their day.