 | Climate, Creating Positive School
 | | Wade Labatte, principal |
Best Practices in School Culture Leadership
(December 2011)
Wade Labatte, principal
Oak Hills Elementary, Lakeville
Creating Positive School Climate
Change is not easy, and accepting change can be even more daunting. Our school has seen an increase in enrollment of 217 students through the closing of an elementary school and the addition of two twice-exceptional classrooms (school-within-a-school model). In order to prepare for these changes, we created a number of activities, assemblies, and other school functions to welcome families, students, and staff. Creating a culture of community and belonging takes time, energy, focus, and commitment from all stakeholders.
School visit
At the end of last school year, we made a site visit to the elementary school that was closing and met with all the students who were going to attend Oak Hills in the fall. Students were given the opportunity to meet some of the key staff members (principal, learning specialist, and licensed school counselor). In addition, each child received a small gift bag with a few Oak Hills trinkets.
Open house
The new Oak Hills families were invited to an open house at the end of last school year. We were very fortunate to have ALL the new staff members who were coming to our school in attendance for the open house. Many of them were coming from the school that was closing which made the open house a wonderful opportunity for families to see familiar faces. During the open house we shared a welcome video created by our ELL teacher and current Oak Hills students. It provided our new families with information about our building, how we function as a welcoming community, and our excitement about having the new families join Oak Hills.
IGNITE picnics
In addition to our open house, our IGNITE (our new twice-exceptional school-within-a-school) families hosted two picnics over the summer at another venue. This built community and created a culture of collaboration and belonging.
PTO
The PTO, along with staff, worked tirelessly to prepare, encourage, and welcome families who were new to Oak Hills. The PTO was ready and willing to assist us in all our initiatives as we prepared for the dramatic changes taking place in our building and community. They provided food, volunteered during the open houses, and supported our staff.
In retrospect, although change is not easy and accepting change can be even more daunting, change can be accomplished. It is imperative to know that while we all encounter challenges on a daily basis, if parents, teachers, and support staff are willing to come together as one community and create a culture of belonging, change can be successfully accomplished through preparation, communication, and collaboration.
Contact Wade at wplabatte@isd194.k12.mn.us
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