Hyde Public School Solution
Engaging and Motivating Students to give their best
“ Every individual is gifted with a unique potential that defines a destiny.” Joseph Gauld, Hyde Founder
The Hyde Public School Solution Key: When you focus on a student’s character, everything else falls into place.
What does a school look like where students
are thinking about character and following their conscience? We see; • Older students helping younger students in the halls. • Students taking leadership roles in the classroom and on their sports teams. • Students having the courage to hold others accountable to do what is right.
If you have grappled with how to instill curiosity, concern, leadership, courage, and integrity into your school, or have tried the latest “character program” or other addon to your curriculum and it isn’t significantly changing your school culture,
you are about to discover the solution.
1. creating a culture that promotes student's doing what is good and right Creating a culture where students feel
comfortable expressing themselves and giving the best of themselves to others involves providing them a safe space.
This is achieved with Part 1 of the Hyde Solution:
The Discovery Group. This is a student’s family group away from home where students work on cultivating inner growth. The group is composed of students from all different grades that meet daily. The Discovery Group: •
Provides a place for students to feel accepted and connected to others.
•
Creates a culture where older students look out for the younger students and take on the task of modeling good behavior.
•
Gives every student a social group that supports them and encourages positive peer pressure.
“ Teachers are more open with kids. We can tell teachers how we feel, and we talk about issues and the world.� Middle School Student
2. It takes a community Part II of the Hyde Solution:
All students participate in Athletics and Performing Arts. Participating in athletics and performing arts demonstarates to students that we all have differenct talents and abilities and cooperatively working with others is an important part of life.
3. Service to others We can all help to make our community a better place. Part III of the Hyde Solution:
All students participate in School Jobs and Community Service. These leadership opportunities allow students to learn that what they do matters, and that they can make a difference.
“ The best way we have found to engage and motivate students is to get them to express themselves.� Robert Hassinger
But does it work? The Proof is in the Pudding Superintendent Robert Hassinger knew that too often a school culture is established and maintained through negative peer pressure. When he saw this at Halifax Middle School, he and his faculty set out to design a culture that would both promote what good parents teach their children at home, and encourage positive peer pressure among students. To change the school culture, he knew they would need to change student behaviors. To change student behaviors, they would have to change student attitudes. And lastly, to change attitudes, they would have to change what students think about. He implemented the Hyde Public School Solution and the results were so astonishing that neighboring Upper Dauphin Middle School also implemented, with similar results:
82%
of students feel like they are a part of their school.
85%
of students agree that most of their teachers are interested in them.
90%
of students believe that people at school are friendly towards them.
“ We are taught to accept people for who they are, and because of that we don’t fight.” Middle School Student
Halifax Middle School Case Study
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Year 4 Year 5
Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10
Halifax Middle School saw declining discipline
totals as calculated since implementing the Hyde Public School Solution in Year 1. In Year 6, with the success they were seeing, they volunteered to incorporate the emotional support students from two neighboring districts into their population. The results from integrating these new students into the Halifax school community followed those of the previous five years. While the discipline totals rose with the new students, they then started to decline in a similar fasion to the previous years, thanks to the Hyde Public School Solution program.
“ I have become better at working with people, kinder, and I share things more.� Middle School Student
Student-Centered School through Discovery Groups OUTER GROWTH Athletics Performing Arts
INNER GROWTH Group Discussions
GROWTH AS CITIZENS Leadership Opportunities
Through the Hyde Public School Solution, schools become Student-Centered as opposed to Adult-Driven by giving students experiences that help them to see the consequences of their decisions and actions.
For more information about the Hyde Public School Solution, contact: Dave Hatfield 717.443.2232
Jared Shade 717.943.4160 Or e-mail HydePSS@hyde.edu
Bob Hassinger 717.648-6879