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Kindness an avenue for growth at Central Elementary
A student’s elementary years are a time when they begin to develop essential social skills. As such, our future leaders have opportunities to learn the importance of respect, sharing and caring for others.
At Central Elementary School, kindness as a concept is emphasized as a means of personal and relational growth between peers and adult figures. For some younger South Putnam students, it starts, and ends, with a hug.
“It’s a house of hugs,” Principal Todd Gowen said in his office.
Gowen believes that a high-five at school can mean the world to a student, especially if he or she needs it when they feel upset, no matter what the reason is.
“We want our kids to want to be here,” Gowen said. “They know they’re welcome here.” On the other hand, he says that parents can support this emphasis on positive social interaction too.
“It’s our responsibility to teach kids and give them a good foundation,” Gowen said further, “and our parents are supportive because we are an extension of their family.”
Through this focus on kindness, Central Elementary teachers and guidance counselor Robi Simms have devoted professional development to incorporating social skills into their curriculum. Most importantly, this comes down to how students and staff can be a positive influence on each other.
“I think we want and need to be seen as a positive person,” Gowen said. “We think it is an obligation to help reinforce a positive outlook, as well as to teach students about responsibility.”
Gowen says this approach can make an impact on a student who gets into trouble at school. Instead of a reprimand with a harsh tone, Gowen and staff approach students and help them understand why what they did was wrong.
“It’s really a conversation, because we want to be firm, but also have a level of respect between us and the student,” he said. “What I do has to be in the best interest of the kids. That’s my job as an administrator in the end.”
As part of this initiative, staff and students at Central Elementary have put up posters in the school’s inside entryway, which have quotes relating to kindness. They also stress what staff believe should be said about Central’s commitment to each child.
“We want to promote a culture of kindness at Central Elementary,” Gowen said. “Those are a way for us to express what’s important to us, and what things we are wanting to teach our kids.”
Promoting kindness early on in their social and personal growth, at least to Gowen’s hopes, is needed to impress upon students themes of respect and teamwork. This also simply goes into just being nice to others and having a positive attitude.
“Education isn’t 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., because it goes beyond what we do here,” Gowen said. “We want to reinforce those principles and what’s important to them beyond knowing their ABCs.”
For Gowen, doing this can lead to their education being much more meaningful. Kindness goes hand-in-hand with working together, and he feels staff and students have made Central Elementary a better environment for everyone.
“If we just be kind, we can be successful; and then we’re gonna be successful,” he said.