Culture shapes student success, and there is something to be said about a school district that focuses on the whole student. While the mission of Harding Charter Preparatory School District continues to be ensuring that every student succeeds at a post-secondary institution, it is equally the mission that every student feels a sense of belonging while attending HCP.
Jami West, Principal at Harding Charter Preparatory Middle School at Independence (HCPMS), and Lana Ingram, Principal at Harding Charter Preparatory Elementary School at Kelley (HCPES), have joined forces to build community among their students by implementing the House System.
Popularized by the Ron Clark Academy, the House System is based on a tradition in U.K. Boarding Schools where students are grouped together by "houses" to encourage camaraderie, community and school spirit through a shared identity.
"We wanted to implement this system, because we want kids to feel like they belong here and give them a niche that they can shine and be themselves. The house system is just one way they can do that," said West
This year the houses are Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. The Elementary school will use the traditional naming of the houses while the Middle School will utilize the Latin translation, to introduce a higher-education approach to their house identities (e.g., Terra, Ventus, Ignis, Aqua). Both schools will use the same colors and plan to continue the House System for the foreseeable future, with the intention that students will remain in their houses as they matriculate through the district.
"In talking with Jami West, it was cool to get it started here so that all the way through they'll be on those same teams all the way through Middle School as well," said Ingram.
Fostering belonging is at the core of this new initiative, though each school will emphasize different facets of character building. At the Middle School, students will focus on leadership and service within each house. Seventh graders will mentor the fifth graders, and eighth graders will mentor sixth graders, respectively to the houses. Each house will also be responsible for creating and executing a service project.
"I have seen students really blossom out of becoming leaders of their houses. It's another opportunity for us to really see students rise to the top and naturally show their leadership skills," said West.
At the Elementary School, the House System will function as a positive behavior reinforcement model. Teachers, staff, and administrators award points to students, and even to one another, to encourage responsibility, preparedness, and teamwork.
"We even give points to our teachers, if we do after school meetings or professional development, we have teachers who are answering questions and coming prepared. We even had a teacher who had her emergency sub plans done first, and we were like okay you get 10 points for your team," said Lana Ingram.
The House system is just one innovative way principals are working to unite the schools into one cohesive district.
"We always have this conversation with being a charter school to all of our kids and all of our teachers, we don't all live in one neighborhood. A lot of public schools, everyone lives near each other; that's not the case. This is our community, so we are just trying to find ways to build community," said Ingram
Community engagement is a core value at the Harding Charter Preparatory School District and continues to be a proven factor in student academic success. When students believe that they can succeed, and feel supported by the community around them, they thrive.
Unified by shared branding, mission, and culture, Harding Charter Preparatory School District continues to strengthen its identity through engaging team‑building experiences that support students in becoming academically prepared and well‑rounded.
"We are trying to build a culture where students feel like they can succeed, so they believe in themselves. They feel like they belong somewhere, whether it's connecting to their house. That's just one extra way we are providing an opportunity for that connection," said West.