Garden Heights boasts fun

Moses Lake school strives to connect with kids

MOSES LAKE - Perhaps the climate at Garden Heights Elementary School was summed up best by the staff, who donned red clown noses at a Moses Lake school board meeting.

Staff wore the red noses during a presentation of the school's strategies for creating a safe, civil, healthy and intellectually stimulating learning environment.

Schools in the district are taking turns addressing the topic for the school board.

Principal Kristi Hofheins said staff wanted to come up with a way to break the ice. As Hofheins continued talking, she, fourth-grade teacher Tammy McFarland, and special education teacher Trisha Gwinn put on red clown noses. They wore the noses for only a few seconds before continuing a more serious presentation.

"We realized last year, that we really needed to implement a school-wide behavior program that kids could connect with," she said.

The school arrived at three expectations. Staff agreed with them and now teach them to students. Called, "Bee attitudes," the expectations are: "Bee safe," "bee respectful" and "bee responsible."

Fourth-grade teacher Tammy McFarland said students earn "Busy Bee" tickets for good behavior. The tickets are good for prizes from the teacher. Students can also earn special tickets redeemed through the principal for extra-special deeds, such as turning in lost money.

A stuffed bee serves as a traveling trophy for classrooms, McFarland said. A classroom which receives the trophy four times gets a special award, such as a party, decorated lunch table or lunch with the principal, she said.

McFarland said staff try to practice "four-to-one" verbal praise when dealing with students. Staff make four positive comments to students before making a suggestion for improvement.

"We really came to realize that we needed to teach kids what the expectations were, and then we needed to continually give them positive reinforcement for achieving those expectations," Hofheins added.

Special education teacher Trisha Gwinn said staff received training this year, including training in de-escalation for students who may need to be removed from the classroom.

The first week of physical education is spent teaching rules for games and the playground to children, Gwinn said.

Presenters also mentioned improving consistency among staff in their understanding of the rules.

In regards to creating a healthy learning environment, Hofheins said the school offers a Junior Joggers program in fall and spring.

"Kids are hugely motivated by Junior Joggers," Hofheins said. "Some of our teachers require that our kids go out and they run a certain number of laps before they get to play on the playground."

An awards ceremony is offered in spring.

In addition, a jog-a-thon fund-raiser is offered yearly.

Hofheins mentioned the counselor provides counseling in the classroom, in small groups, and at the individual level. One program, called, "Salvaging Sisterhood," is for fifth-grade girls.

Gwinn noted a team of teachers meet to exchange ideas for helping children they may be concerned about.

"It's just kind of a very supportive team to help (the) kids who are struggling as well as teachers," Gwinn said.