This year, our staff and community have focused their collective attention on “Fostering a Respectful Learning Environment.” Indeed, this is a broadly defined goal and has prompted many of us to “dig deeper” towards a better understanding of what each of our responsibilities are towards promoting schools where all of us feel safe and respected.
Related to this feeling of safety and positive social-emotional well-being is the concept of “school climate.” The National School Climate Center (NSCC) states that, “a sustainable, positive school climate fosters youth development and learning necessary for a productive, contributing and satisfying life in a democratic society.” Further, the NSCC illustrates that a positive school climate includes:
- Norms, values and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally and physically safe.
- People are engaged and respected.
- Students, families and educators work together to develop, live and contribute to a shared school vision.
- Educators model and nurture attitudes that emphasize the benefits and satisfaction gained from learning.
- Each person contributes to the operations of the school and the care of the physical environment.
In the weeks ahead, we will be asking for help towards assisting us in gaining a better understanding of our School Climate and how we can take measures to better ensure that our students and staff feel safe and supported. In the meantime, I would encourage you to familiarize yourselves with the “NSCC 12 Dimensions of School Climate” that we will be using to frame our discussion and future actions at: NSCC 12 Dimensions of School Climate .
