When I think about capturing the hearts of our students, I think about the Capturing Kids Hearts motto “If you have a child’s heart…you have a child’s mind.” -Flip Flippen.
At Aspen View Academy, we aim to follow this motto in our classrooms, interactions, and how we treat each other. I see this every day from the first greeting with a fist bump, high five, or “hello, how is your day” to the end of the day goodbyes and the “have a great evening and we will see you tomorrow”. This warms my heart when I witness it daily.
With capturing a child’s heart you gain their trust and they gain confidence in their school work and their own selves. Additionally we learn about their interests, hobbies, and experiences. The students show more respect, are more engaged in the classroom, and the school climate and culture is a positive environment for learning and growth.
Engagement in the classroom increases tremendously when students feel safe and they have a strong bond with teachers and other staff members in the school. The more students feel connected the easier it is for them to build relationships and be respectful, to be motivated in their school work, and in other activities during the school day. A positive school climate and culture allows for students and staff to feel even more connected. When teachers and staff model this positive school climate, then students follow the example and are able to have their relationships build and grow. We love seeing their engagement and involvement in activities throughout the school day because of these connections and examples. With this strong foundation at Aspen View Academy, they can develop the skills they need to become wonderful citizens of the world later in their lives.
One of our main goals is to capture our students' hearts, so they have a great school experience and they feel safe here in a positive educational environment. We foster this at AVA when we greet students at the beginning of the day and when say goodbye at the end of the day. Thank you for trusting us to capture their hearts and build those strong relationships with your child(ren).
Jean Fanning
Grades 3-5 Assistant Principal
