This article was written by Erin Waer and Lisa Vuola, who led Virginia R. Boris Elementary in the Clovis Unified School District, as Principal and Vice Principal. Erin has spent 21 years in education, 10 of them as an elementary principal, and Lisa taught 2nd, 3rd, and 6th grades in Clovis Unified before moving into administration. They wrote this piece in the school's fifth year, while it was still building its culture from the ground up.
Here at Virginia R. Boris Elementary, we are still a relatively new school as our doors have only been open for five years. When we began creating school culture, we knew we needed to find a way to connect a variety of programs and practices that are common at the elementary level, such as:
- Character education
- Diversity
- Communication
- Parent committees
- School-wide discipline programs
But, we also understood for these to have a lasting impact, we needed something that would be sustainable, relevant, and resonate deeply with everyone within our school community.
We found all of this and more in The Positivity Project (P2).
We believe that P2 is a necessary investment not only for our students but also for ourselves as educators and leaders in our community. More than ever, it is critical that we teach students that they hold within themselves all 24-character strengths. This helps our students, staff, and parent community build positive relationships while maintaining their social-emotional well-being.
Regardless of the different backgrounds and beliefs within our school community, these character strengths and the focus on other people supersedes all perceived boundaries and cultures. When we create an environment for our students, with this consistent message and common language, students naturally begin to celebrate others’ success and the strengths they see amongst their peers. P2 has united us as more than just a school but as a community.
We have seen firsthand the impact this invaluable partnership has had and continues to have for our school during both in-person and virtual learning.
Daily, we hear our students have conversations using the vocabulary taught in the P2 lessons and how it has helped them strengthen relationships with their peers, teachers, and parents/caretakers. Our teachers have found creative ways to weave character strengths into all aspects of the curriculum, which expands the character education outside of the 15-min daily lessons. We have seen our students create flip grids discussing the benefits of a flexible learning environment, creating P2-based art projects, and penning essays in which they explain their own character strengths.
In the virtual learning environment, our students and parents have persevered through new technology and focused on building relationships, maintaining friendships, and finding new ways to collaborate all in a virtual world. They have learned that teamwork comes in many forms and that they can work together no matter where they are. Our students understand that no matter what happens, having a positive attitude, and looking for the strengths in others is the cornerstone of building positive relationships and having a happy life.
Our school vision states, “Virginia R. Boris Elementary will become a model of excellence in 21st-century learning, global citizenship, innovation, and shared leadership.” P2 has given us the tools, a common language, and a shared commitment to making our vision become a reality.
We believe we are preparing our students to be global citizens in America’s ever-changing future. School-wide we have cultivated the Other People Mindset, and it is undoubtedly, helping us develop empathetic and compassionate leaders. We are proud to partner with P2 and will continue to be a part of this nationwide movement as it cultivates a school-wide culture of #PositivityInAction*.
*search this hashtag on social media to see P2 at work in schools across the country.
