Cisneros House System

Cisneros Elementary House System

The purpose:

+ to build and promote community across the grade levels and throughout the school

+ to encourage positive behavior and expectations

+ to teach students to take ownership of their role in the community

+ to promote healthy competition

Basic information

Students and staff will be sorted into the five different houses, each named after one of Acero School's core values. Each house will form a community that will be their school family. We will be establishing a school culture that encourages school pride, tradition, and accountability. House points will be awarded to students for exceeding WILD expectations.

House Name	Color	Value Statement	House Leader
Alcanzar	Red	We set goals and do what it takes to achieve them.	Ms. Kitchen
Community	Yellow	We contribute to, respect and serve in our communities.	Ms. Beck
Excelencia	Green	We expect our best and strive to make our best even better.	Ms. Chrystal
Resilience	Blue	We learn and grow through adversity and challenges.	Mrs. Hopkins
Optimismo	Orange	We believe in our ability to create the future we envision.	Mr. Gillies

Points

Students earn points by exhibiting desired behaviors and character traits. Teachers give points through the KICKBOARD program. Once a student earns a point, it cannot be taken away.

Examples of desired behaviors and character traits:

- Kindness

- Collaboration

- Cooperation

- Leadership

- Helps others

- Uses time wisely

- Active listening/engaged

- Above and Beyond

Recognition of Houses

+ At the end of each quarter, the winning house will be announced during the Quarter Celebration Assembly.

+ A special celebration will occur for students in the winning house each quarter. Winning house is determined by highest overall point total.

+ House points will start over each quarter, but a cumulative total will be kept for the end of the year.

+ A special recognition assembly will take place at the end of the year for the House of the Year.

Recognition of Individuals

+ Every Monday, the highest point earner from the previous week is announced and will borrow a tie (in their house color) for the week.

+ Students can be added to Incentive Lists after reaching a set number of points per Point Category. For example, once a student earns 5 Kindness points in a given week, s/he will have their picture taken and placed on a Kindness Board in the school. Or, once a student earns 5 Above and Beyond points, s/he can elect to borrow the principal’s chair for the day.

+ Other recognition opportunities may include:

Lunch with a preferred staff person
Free entrance to a school dance/event
Name added to a wall tile
And more! … do you have unique and interesting ideas? Share them!

House Mentorship

+ Each House will have a House Leader who is a staff person.

+ Once selected, House Mentors will . . .

An “A-Team” is a group of student leaders who act as encouragers for their peers to attend school with regularity and to be on time.
Organize and Facilitate House Council meetings
Monitor attendance of House members weekly and leverage student leaders to be part of an A-Team
Facilitate a House-sponsored event and a House-sponsored assembly in coordination with the Dean of Community
Own building a sense of community and camaraderie among house members
Maintain a House bulletin board

Student Leadership

+ At the start of the school year, students may file to be part of their House Council.
+ Students will submit an application to their House Leader.

+ From those applications, Mentors will select a House Captain and Lieutenant as well as grade level Ambassadors.

+ Once selected, House Councils will . . .

Attend House Council meetings
Participate on their House’s A-Team
Design and host one or more House-sponsored event and a House-sponsored assembly in coordination with the Dean of Community
Build a sense of community and camaraderie among house members
Maintain a House bulletin board