School Climate

Oh my – another “buzz” word – school climate... Actually, this one is pretty straight forward.  School climate refers to the quality and character of school life.  It is based on experiences at school and reflects the goals, values, relationships, teaching and learning practices and organizational structure of a school.  It is linked with the term “school culture.”  That is just “How we do things here.” Things like our shared history, customary practices, formal or informal traditions (yes – like field day!) It includes our celebrations, teamwork and our sense of community.  Adapted from “School Climate: Building Safe, Supportive and Engaging Classrooms and Schools by Jonathan Cohen, PhD and Maruice J. Elias, PhD.)

Some items to think about when you think of our “climate” in Washington Township School District:

-Are students and adults helpful and interested?

-Are you greeted when you come to visit the school?

-Is there student work present in the hallways?

-Are there bulletin boards that teach Respect and promote positive behaviors?

-Are you informed of upcoming events in the school/district?

Each year, District administrators measure our School Climate through a variety of assessments – these have been conducted with students at Brass Castle and Port Colden and address personal experiences in the Township Schools. Basic concepts include a sense of belonging, security, being valued, do they have adults they trust? Our administration looks to our students and faculty for suggestions, improvements and trends.  

Our past assessments showed an overwhelming majority of respondents indicating that our Washington Township School District’s response to “bullying” was exceptional. We are very proud of this statistic and will continue to improve and develop programs and educational resources to encourage kindness and positive behavior in our schools because every child matters!