Building Connections

Building Connections

The many houses of Cockrell do service projects, inclusive activities, and focus on the Cockrell Essentials.

Please. Excuse me. Thank you! These are some of the phrases that Cockrell Elementary students are learning the importance of every day through a new concept the campus instituted this year.

Members of the Cockrell teaching and administration staff were granted the opportunity to attend the coveted Ron Clark Academy for observation and learning. The visit proved to be enlightening to the educational professionals who visited. The Prosper teachers and administrators came up with a goal of refocusing students through a focus on learning citizenship daily with their academics and building community within the school. Based upon the Ron Clark Academy and his renowned book The Essential 55, the campus developed Houses. All Cockrell students and staff, as well as some volunteers and district employees who come to visit, are sorted into houses. The Cockrell houses are a reinforcement of the district REACH program with adding an extra I for IREACH. The houses are:

I Integritas (Latin) - Integrity R Heshima (Swahili) - Respect E Khuthaza (Zulu) - Encourage A Prashansa (Hindi) - Appreciate C Palapala (Hawaiian) - Communicate H Meiyo (Japanese) - Honor

To celebrate the district’s growing cultural diversity, the teams took on the names from different cultures. Each House is a family of students grades K-5 as well as staff with a variety of responsibilities on campus. Together the houses do service projects, communication and inclusive activities, and focus on the Cockrell Essentials, life lessons that build good, productive, kind citizens.

Principal, Glenda Dophied, explained that part of the goal of the mixed grades in houses was to “foster a way to help build community within our school.” “The purpose is to create a vertical family and keep our district REACH focus but we needed six houses so we added I for Integrity.” Part of the Ron Clark Academy is the 55 Essentials, rather than trying to teach all 55, the campus committee narrowed them down to the most important 15 essentials which they called the Cockrell essentials.

“Parents are reaching out to tell us that this is transferring over at home when their students speak to people and look them in the eye or hold the door open for people without being prompted.” The 15 Essentials are taught through morning broadcasts, teacher focus in class, and House meetings where students and staff focus on learning these necessary skills and doing service projects. Assembly seating is based upon houses rather than grades allowing students to foster the “family” atmosphere and interact with their House Family.

Cockrell 3rd grader, Arden Keen, from the House of Prashansa enjoyed working with her family to make words of thanks to the custodians and placing it on their door. Andalyn Cook, also a Cockrell 3rd grader from the House of Palapala said that she learned that “your actions can say things about what you feel along with your words like showing that you are sorry and not just saying it.”

Prosper parent, Julie Burns, who has two students in the House of Integritas and the House of Prashansa at Cockrell in 2nd grade and Kindergarten loves the program. She said that they get “so into dressing up on house days” and come home “very excited about House points and when their house wins for the week and they earn some kind of prize.” At home, she has seen a difference as her Kindergarten student identifies acts of integrity. She has noticed an improvement in both their manners and in their communication.

Ms. Dophied said that she is excited to report that she has seen an improvement in behaviors. Students are more excited to come to school and are building relationships that have extended beyond the limited scope of the classroom. The Cockrell campus has become the Cockrell Family.

Parents are reaching out to tell us that this is transferring over at home when their students speak to people and look them in the eye or hold the door open for people without being prompted.