How GPS Schools Create Comfort and Connection to Start the School Year

With the new school year underway, a crucial focus for school staff is ensuring students feel comfortable and secure in their classrooms and across their campuses. One way school staff help students feel comfortable is to support them as they adapt to daily routines and build positive relationships with their peers and teachers. Every Gilbert Public School prioritizes creating a welcoming environment for its students. The examples below highlight just a few of the many ways they achieve this.

Reinforcing Routines and Expectations
One way students feel comfortable at school is through consistency. Schools establish daily routines that students can anticipate and trust. At Finley Farms Elementary, Kindergartners learn to safely follow teachers "like ducklings" to parent pick-up, while their "Falcons RISE" initiative teaches Respect, Integrity, Service, and Encouragement through active participation, empowering students with clear expectations. Similarly, Towne Meadows Elementary instills "The Timberwolf Way" - being Mindful, Safe, Responsible, Respectful - by having staff lead by example. They also practice everyday routines like bus boarding and campus expectations, helping students feel secure while working to improve lengthy processes.

Reinforcing Relationships
Beyond routines, relationships play a role in making students feel comfortable at school. School staff actively create spaces where students can feel connected to their peers. At Boulder Creek Elementary, students participated in a math activity themed around kindness, which encouraged students to solve problems with their classmates. Ashland Ranch Elementary had students complete a STEM challenge, where students were randomly grouped together in a competition to build the tallest tower. Students at Gilbert High School took on a similar activity with the "Marshmallow Challenge," which tasked groups to build a free-standing structure with a marshmallow on top using nothing but spaghetti noodles, tape, and string. Meanwhile, students at Islands Elementary played "Find a Friend", a game similar to Bingo that encouraged students to discover shared interests and experiences with classmates. Teachers at Highland Junior High also had students moving around the classroom during a game of "Four Corners," which helped students connect with their classmates who shared common interests.

These collective efforts to establish clear routines, set positive expectations, and build strong relationships lead to more engaged students. As the school year progresses, schools will continue to create supportive environments where every student can thrive. To learn more about individual schools, visit GilbertSchools.net/Our-Schools.