Pointers Run Elementary School is committed to assets!

We would like to welcome our new Asset Schools for 2007-2008 to our growing list!

These schools are utilizing developmental assets as a strategy to realize goal two of the Howard County Public School System.

Asset School Activities

The schools that began implementing Assets last year have found creative and exciting ways to build Assets in their students and in the school culture.  We would like to share them with you.

Atholton Elementary School maintains students’ attention and ongoing focus on Assets through their bulletin boards.  The weekly Citizen Award recognizes students for their contributions to the school community as Asset builders.  The strong mentoring program also enhances and promotes Assets.

Bellow Springs Elementary School kicked-off a brilliant Asset awareness campaign with a “Name IT” game.   Family Reading Night promotes Assets to children through parent involvement.  The Asset of the Week receives school wide attention, in lessons and newsletters home.

Bollman Bridge Elementary School builds asset rich relationships through the Peer Mediators and Teacher/High School Mentors Programs.  Their Wendell Club recognizes students who are responsible and respectful.

Burleigh Manor Middle School continues its efforts to empower students with its active Town Council, Students Ambassadors and News Teams. The Rock-a-thon, Family Fun Nights and Spirit Days are also co-chaired by students.

Celebration Academy acknowledges their most improved students as “Stars of the Week” with positive phone calls home and a featured article in the Newsletter.  Students in the upper grades serve as mentors for the younger students.

Centennial High School introduced the Developmental Assets Framework to the 9th Grade Team.  As a result, a “Freshman Focus” form was created.  Office referrals were drastically reduced.   They also conducted an Asset poster contest and created an Asset writing prompt that was completed by all freshmen. The completed essays were placed in the students’ writing folders.  A “Farewell to Freshmen” celebration concluded the year. Faculty and fellow students recognized outstanding Asset developers.

Centennial Lane Elementary School students focus on one Asset at each grade level.  Each team includes lessons on the Assets regularly and keeps parents well informed through the weekly newsletter and evening workshops.  The guidance counselor and the art teacher have initiated a “Mud Club” to enhance relationship skills.

Clemens Crossing Elementary School's ACE (Achievement, Citizenship, Effort) weekly awards are accompanied by a call home by the principal or assistant principal.  A warm welcoming committee of staff greets students at the door each day.  Homework helpers and Buddy Readers provide opportunities for students to work together in a positive way.

Deep Run Elementary School has the Asset Framework embedded in the school culture.  Each team works on a yearlong Asset project, which is presented and celebrated at the end of the year.  Asset writing prompts and book reads are part of the curriculum.

Dunloggin Middle School focuses on one Asset each month.  This Asset becomes the topic for parent night, community night and the weekly Core Plus lesson. In January, the entire school community (students, staff and parents) completed a school wide book read and discussion of “December Stillness” by Mary Downing Hahn.

Glenwood Middle School holds a monthly recognition of one student from each grade who exemplifies Assets in his/her daily life.  Parents are invited to faculty and SIT meetings.  Students are empowered by monitoring their own performance.

Marriotts Ridge High School welcomes parents at conferences and concerts with references to the Assets.   The principal enjoys morning “coffee with the principal” to establish relationships with the parents. Students act as peer mentors.  Activities to “bond to school” abound at this new school.

Murray Hill Middle School's principal is quoted as saying, “The Developmental Assets align everything that we do.”  From the abundance of after school activities to the Community Outreach Health Fair, from Breakfast of Asset Champions to weekly newsletters, Assets are visible.  The principal interviews each eighth grade student personally, before graduation.

Northfield Elementary School has an Asset theme each month.  Students, staff, parents, bus drivers are exposed to the Asset theme through lessons, bulletin boards, book talks, newsletters, service projects, evening workshops and speakers.  Fifth Graders prepare and present Asset lessons to the lower grades.  As a reminder, students have an Asset page in their daily planner.

Patapsco Middle School students began their encounter with the Assets through morning announcements. A “Play It Forward” activity followed, raising awareness and interest.  Five interactive stations culminated their introduction.  Students now focus on one Asset each month. Parents are kept informed through the webpage and newsletter.

Pointers Run Elementary School calls Assets “The 40 Things to Live By.”  Asset awareness is present throughout the school.  Bulletin boards are changed on a monthly basis to represent the featured Asset. Newsletters are filled with ideas for parents.  Fifth grade Asset Ambassadors prepare and present Asset lessons to the lower grades.  Recently students in the second grade were having some issues with bullying…fifth graders suggested talking about bullying in terms of assets… “safety,” “resistance skills,” “caring school climate,” and “honesty.”

Running Brook Elementary School recognizes the recipient of the People All Wanting Success (PAWS) award with a call home by the principal to congratulate parents.  An Asset guides each month’s guidance lesson as well as bulletin board theme.

Waterloo Elementary School initiated Club Waterloo, a monthly program for parents to learn strategies to help below grade level readers. Teachers begin parent conferences by referring to the Assets.   Two Assets are highlighted in the Wildcat Newsletter each week. The PTA addresses the targeted assets at PTA functions, as well as extracurricular activities (i.e., chorus concerts, band concerts, etc.).  Students are involved in poster making and peer-to-peer presentations focused on the Assets.

Howard County is rich with asset champions who are special promoters of the deep value and worth of children - for who they are now and who they will be in the years to come.  These asset champions know it takes special care and intention to ensure that the foundation for children is built on enduring values so they develop a sense of belonging and have opportunities for their skills and gifts to be honored.  The champions go the extra mile to establish an uplifting vision and know how to gather resources to do this.  They draw on their deep well of passion to inspire others and thereby create a community that upholds the values of respect and appreciation of children and teens.  This intentionality results in planned activities and practices that heighten attention to relationships among and between adults and children/teens.

The following asset champions, along with their organizations, went the extra mile to apply for a grant from the Horizon Foundation to strengthen an existing asset program.  They created a vision to reinforce creative and enriching growth opportunities and gathered others around to support the vision.

Lauren Bauer, Principal of Atholton Elementary School, was introduced to developmental assets many years ago at a community training.  She immediately began to implement the ideas as a new principal.  Her vision grew and she built a plan around her concern for a small number of students in the 4th grade who were not adjusting well to the school.  She felt if she could engage them in meaningful activities where they were helping others, they would be inspired to turn around their attitudes towards school. She embraced the asset framework, specifically with its focus on intergenerational opportunities and developed a plan for the fifth graders to visit Sunrise Assisted Living on a monthly basis this school year.  The fifth grade students planned the activities themselves. These activities included: crafts, making scarves, sing alongs (with rice shakers to keep some residents awake), poetry reading and a debate.  The kids and adults really enjoyed this upbeat time together.  In fact, there was a resident who attended the events but didn’t speak. As a result of the monthly visits by these energetic young people he began to join in and participated along with everyone.  He was originally named “Silent Sam” but with his new involvement lost his title.  When the students returned to school, they brainstormed and evaluated how they did and how they could improve for next time.  As a principal, Lauren is proud that she has not had one student from the fifth grade sent to her office for behavior issues this school year! The value of this community service particularly came home to her when the Acting Director of Sunrise told her that this partnership with Atholton Elementary School was the best one she had because of the flexibility, organization and, above all, the impact on the residents! 

Linda Behsudi, a trainer from the Office of Children’s Services, fell in love with assets when she first discovered them several years ago.  She has been very enthusiastic about incorporating them into the work she does as a trainer of early childhood education providers.  Linda and her assistant received training from Assets for Colorado Youth, an initiative which focuses on children and has developed their own training curriculum for early childhood education.  Inspired by that training Linda and her team have provided asset training to parents, child care providers, early care and education center administrators, as well as “parent as teachers” parent educators.  In addition, she provided in-service training to Recreation & Parks staff members and because of their enthusiasm plans to hold a follow-up training for them.  Linda will continue to promote asset-building through a series of articles which she will be writing for Patuxent Publishing scheduled for fall 2007.  In addition, she plans to develop a database of parents and distribute a newsletter addressing early childhood issues. 

It is gratifying to know that children and their parents are being exposed to these powerful ideas and strategies at a developmental time when so much formulation is taking place.  Seeds are being planted at this crucial time and if nourished, will flourish over a lifetime. 

Two of our elementary schools, Northfield and Pointers Run, have been finding ways to be creative in their asset-building for several years.  Christi Bello, guidance counselor and Vickie Walsh, school nurse, spearheaded a program at Northfield called “Asset Ambassadors Take Action.” Their intention was to take the asset-building work deeper from the previous year and target specific children who had scored below twenty-five assets on “the asset check-list.”  They designed an after-school peer mentoring program with the goal of having the at-risk students infuse assets into other students’ lives, thereby “paying it forward.”  The group of eighteen fifth graders has been meeting diligently once a week for the entire school year.  During their sessions after school they prepare their asset presentation for the following week.  In order to ensure successful learning the students go through several steps: they study the asset, write about it, illustrate it, practice it and then prepare to teach it to students in the lower grades – Kindergarten through fourth grade.  In addition, a daily announcement is created to reinforce the asset school-wide and display posters are placed around the school. Significant changes have been observed in the children as they develop a team spirit, confidence and pride from being presenters and role models to other students.  One parent who was picking her child up from the program shared what a difference the program had made for her child.  It has shifted her child’s attitude about coming to school.  The parent was very happy and appreciative!  Parents have been involved through an asset training session at the beginning of the year and they will participate in an end-of-the-year celebration.  Data on tardiness, behavior and academic performance demonstrate a positive impact on the students from the program.   Most importantly asset scores have risen substantially for all Asset Ambassadors! Christi and Vickie are so pleased with the results that they would like to present their program at the Developmental Assets Conference.

The beauty of “Asset Ambassadors Taking Action” is that these students now are empowered to be role models to other children by imparting valuable life lessons to them.  Especially significant is the fact that they are internalizing what they are teaching to others.  Above all, their uniqueness has been celebrated and they have become an integral part of the school community.  This validates the role that asset-building plays in preparing elementary school students to move ahead into the challenges of middle school and beyond.

Patti Clifford, asset champion and guidance counselor at Pointers Run Elementary School, led her Parent Asset Team in creating a “Paws/Pause for Fun Family and School Night” which is organized around the asset categories.  One of the highlights of the night was the appearance of former Harlem Globetrotter, Spinny Johnson.  While spinning the basketball in amazing ways, he imparted the importance of education, respect, goal setting, determination and perseverance.  The evening included wonderful opportunities to build assets.  The Howard County Police demonstrated their radar detector, the Girl Scouts taught leadership, ESOL was promoted and the Chevy Chase Bank provided activities for children to learn about savings.  Many other exciting events, including a special chorus, were offered that night!  Thanks to Patti and her PTA parent team for providing such a wide range of educational and fun ways for children, parents and staff to interact with one another!

Patti continues to train her “asset all-stars” to introduce the asset of the month to students in all grades.  Each fifth grader has an opportunity to present to their peers during the school year.  This is the third year of the program and Patti sees a significant growth in the confidence of the students.  The school continues to offer “Books for Babies”.  Each family with a new baby receives,” What Every Child Needs to Grow Up Successfully.”  “Walk your child to school day” and the celebration of bus drivers all contribute to an asset-rich school and community environment.

Cher Jones, Principal of Dunloggin Middle School, has been an advocate for assets since her participation in the Developmental Assets Conference in 2004 in San Jose, CA.  The work was expanded this year through the Asset Community Team, comprised of twenty staff, students and parents who wanted to contribute to a positive and upbeat environment at Dunloggin Middle School.  Over the summer the Asset Camp produced thirty-minute lessons which are presented to students weekly.  There are half-day “award activities” which are asset-based and engaged in by students each quarter.  Michael Fallon, an inspirational speaker who was invited to the school, opened hearts and minds through his stories about accepting individual differences in a presentation to students, staff and parents. The school community also came together to read for pleasure this spring, enjoying the lovely story, “Akeelah and the Bee.”

Cher and her school leaders have picked up on a need for adolescents to have a strong supportive community with clear values. Students are being exposed to values that will serve them well in years to come.  In addition, they are given voice and empowered to work in partnership with adults to achieve an elevated goal for their school.

Asset champions are sung and unsung heroes who serve in all parts of the community.  They stand out in their willingness to stand up for and take action on what they know is important.  We see you and want to acknowledge your passion and commitment to strengthening our community!