Have you heard all of the buzz

about Easton Middle School's new House Program?

Well, in this episode of Pep Talk, you

will hear how they are transforming school culture

by involving students and staff in their house

system used to promote character, academic success, school

spirit, and a family atmosphere to create a

culture of excellence in their school.

This is Doctor Sharon Pepukayi, Superintendent of

Talbot County Public Schools, with Pep talk.

So I am here today for my

Pep Talk with four dynamic school administrators.

I have Principal of Easton Middle School, Kelly

Murdoch, and three Assistant Principals that work with

her day in and day out, Todd Stoker,

CarolAnne Burkhardt and Ashley Quicke.

And today we are going to be talking about

their Easton Middle School House Program, how that came

about, where the idea came from, what is it

doing for their school culture here, and the students

and staff, and then what's next after this?

So I can just start off by saying, in

the community, I am out all the time talking

to students, to staff, to community members.

And I have heard over and over again,

probably on both hands, this House System.

And when I hear it, it comes with a positive comment.

I really like the House System.

The kids are excited about this, so it obviously has

taken hold and made an impact in a positive way.

So I just want to talk to you a

little bit, starting off with the first question, how

did the idea of the Harry Potter based House

System come about here at Easton Middle School?

And anyone can jump in.

I think we really were all looking together

and talking through in our summer planning sessions

just about how could we build community.

We knew that was a huge need that showed up

with our staff, that showed up with our students.

And I don't remember who it was, but someone mentioned

and using a House System, I mean, I think we

had all kind of heard of different House Systems, and,

you know, what that could mean, potentially, for the school.

And so we kind of started researching there, and

we came across Ron Clark Academy, and, you know,

in true educator fashion, there wasn't a need to

recreate the wheel because Ron Clark Academy had a

pretty outstanding wheel going with the House System.

And so they used the Harry Potter theme and their

House System and developed a whole school based around that.

And what's really great about it, why we kind of

went with that, was their resources were free because they

saw the impact, honestly, that it created for their school

community and the impact that it had in their students

and in their students' families lives.

And they wanted that to be available to other

schools, to have that same kind of impact.

So that was kind of a blessing.

I think Ms. Quicke had some colleagues that had also used

it, and so we kind of talked to them and researched

it and decided to kind of go with that.

So thanks for that background.

I am a Ron Clark fan, and free is always good.

So what is the main objective?

Like, what does it do?

What's the purpose of the House System?

So our whole goal with the House

System was to build positive culture.

We want our students to, one-  want to be here,

to feel positive, to feel a part of something.

We know how important it is

to feel like you belong somewhere.

And when our students and staff are in a

positive frame of mind, they're more apt to be

able to focus on learning and growth.

And so the whole idea of the houses

was to really create school-wide the ability

to belong, to focus on positive actions to.

That's where we're trying to promote the things that we

want to see in students, the hard work, the effort,

the attendance, the positive behavior, and focusing on those things

to kind of create a community, a sense of belonging,

and a positive atmosphere at Easton Middle.

Well, that's definitely.

I know the research talks about students

who have a sense of belonging, who

feel like they're connected, definitely shows up

in their academic achievement and their behavior.

So I know I was here on the day

that students were creating their teams or houses.

I guess I just remember vividly the wheel, something

was spinning, and there was a lot of cheering,

and there were students in the gym.

So what ways, after all of that, they

established their houses, and it's kind of moving.

So it's moving.

What ways have you noticed change in a good way now

that it's up and we're almost end of school year.

So it's doing what we had hoped it would do,

which is really building connections for students and staff and

then creating small communities within our large school.

So with over 700 kids, over 100 staff, it's

really given us an opportunity for students to know

each other better, staff to really get to know

each other better, because there were times where we

were like, oh, that person really didn't know that

other staff members name or anything about them.

So it's really given some opportunities for

cohesiveness and some intentionality of our core

goals, which are safety and then academic

progress and success, I think, too.

Also, having the mixed grade levels within the houses

provides a natural opportunity for the older kids to

be role models for some of our younger students.

Kind of a mentorship that happens naturally.

And then, of course, the different activities

that are part of the house system

with incentives and pep rallies.

It just provides some fun for

students as well as staff.

I mean, our staff is all in.

They can't wait for the next competition.

You know, there's some friendly competition, a little

bit of smack talking going on between staff.

It's been really fun, though, to see,

and our kids have really shown up

cheering for each other, encouraging each other.

So that's been really something

really positive that we've seen.

That's good, because I know oftentimes in middle schools, or

schools that have your certain grades, sometimes staff members can

be attached to that grade, and so their sense of

ownership to the student as a whole, as an Easton

middle school student, sometimes gets lost.

So it's really good to hear that the cross-grade

showing mentorship and just kind of team ems that everyone.

Four houses, one family. Oh, I love it. Four houses.

And that's what I was gonna add, too, was

just that, you know, with it being mixed, 8th

grade's upstairs, so they live up there.

It's rare that, you know, some of our 6th and

7th grade teachers will interact with the 8th grade teachers

because of the proximity of the space and where they

live for the majority of their days. Right.

7th grade stays in their hall, 6th

grade teachers stay in their hall.

So it's really awesome to see what Ms

Murdoch was saying, that group come together and

really get to know each other and build

on each other's strengths and encourage each other.

It's just.

It's a lot of fun to watch.

It is a lot of fun to watch.

So then, if I am a student, let's say I'm 7th

grade and I'm in a house, what does that look like?

The day in the life of being a part?

Like, how can I earn something?

How can I celebrate?

And what is that like?

So there. Go ahead.

I was just going to say, one of the big things

that we have found really useful, which was great through Ron

Clark Academy, is they do have a house app.

And so that has kind of been able to put

together the technology resources for teachers to be able to

award points, track points, and each of those students are

trying to earn points for their house.

They have quarterly incentives and point races

that they are trying to win.

There is an end of the year incentive for the

overall winning house that they are trying to win.

And what's cool about that is

right now, my house is reward.

We're not doing the greatest, but okay.

I think, actually, Isabendi might

be below it right now. Thank you.

Showing that leaderboard.

That's on the ad race.

Caroline, that's awesome.

But what's nice about it, too, is, you know,

in our house meetings, they're also able to talk

about their points go to the global points.

So they also built into all of

the other schools that are doing the

house initiative through Ron Clark Academy.

So all of our reward points go

to the reward house throughout the country.

So they are seeing that they actually,

their daily actions have an impact now

not just in the school, but internationally.

And so they might be in fourth place in

Easton middle school, but I think we were, like,

first or second internationally or throughout the globe.

And so using that app, staff can go on.

They can award points based

on academics, effort, character.

And it happens right in the moment.

We have a big leaderboard that is in the

lobby of the school, and when a student earns

the points, their name flashes up for that.

They just earned points, and what,

they earned it for their house.

So it's an electronic, real time electronic.

So that's really cool.

And that is how our champion team is, the team

that's kind of in charge of running the house system

and kind of our stages of progression with implementation.

But that's how they monitor points being doled

out and keeping track of the point races.

And there's a lot more that we can do with that.

You know, we're babysitting, baby stepping into it.

I mean, there's so many ways that they can.

They can earn points.

You know, just even in the cafeteria with some

of my 6th graders, I remind them all the

time, we're saying please and thank you. No, thank you.

You're welcome.

We're cleaning up our trash.

You know, I'm just trying to reinforce all those positive

manners, and we're hitting points, you know, left and right,

because the other adults see it, and they're like, oh,

my gosh, that student was so polite.

Let's give them some points like other adults.

So the adults in the school give the point?

Yes, any adult.

It doesn't matter whether it needs their teacher. They.

So they can go up and say, or if the

custodial staff comes in, they're like, oh, my gosh, you

know, doctor Burkhardt, your class was so nice and clean.

The chairs were, you know, blah, blah, blah, all the

things he can go ahead and say, you know what?

I want to award that class these points.

And we've had front office staff requests.

It's really based on that positive reinforcement, too, which

is huge, which also goes into our other positivity

project that we do on a daily as well.

So it all really melds together and just.

It's growing.

Those good, positive humans that, you know, we want our

students to be staff member truly is in a house. Yep.

So it's not even just teachers and students,

but everyone from our custodial staff, our instructional

assistants, our captain, everyone is in a house.

So it is the entire school and every student.

So that makes it a huge piece of it, that everyone

you're connected to is participating in a part of it.

So then each one of you are a leader of a house.

So I heard you're Reveur.

And then what, Carol Ann? I'm Amistad.

I'm the red house.

And Altruismo.

Altruismo.

And I'm Isabindi. I'm the green house. Okay.

And who is in the lead right now?

I think Alturismo. Okay.

Which may be the first time.

No, they've been in the lead for a while.

Oh, you have?

We go back and forth a lot. And then.

When's the end days? The last day of school?

Like, when's the, like.

Okay, this is the date. Yeah. The last day of school.

Okay. Yeah. Okay. Wow.

And then they do an incentive quarterly.

So at the end of every quarter, whoever

is in the lead, they do an incentive.

So I think maybe it was the first quarter we went.

We talked with the y.

We walked the kids over.

They did, like, the rock climbing. The whole team? Yeah.

The whole house.

Yeah.

We made sure that staff that were in the house

were in coverage, and they could go, oh, that's wonderful.

Yeah.

We did a snow cone where they got ice

cream or something, and they got to play games.

They've done quite a few different things. Oh, yeah.

And then the third one's coming

up that they're trying to organize.

Now, our champion team does that, which is phenomenal.

Now, is there.

Is it, like, everybody gets a prize, so is it, like,

top, then the next and the next and the next?

Or is it just one top winner and that's it.

And no one else wins anything else,

if you put it like that.

But pep rallies and those kinds of things, they

have the opportunity to earn points as well.

And so, you know, and to win,

there are different rally win, different events.

I lose things, and they get into it.

It is so much fun to watch.

And the staff cheering. It's really.

It's a lot of fun.

So then if you could think of one benefit,

and if, like Todd says one, another, one of

you could say, plus one on that.

So I want you to think of just

one big benefit of this house system.

And I'll start with you, Todd.

I really feel like it is.

We have the four different houses, but I have

heard more people talk about being together as a

school community than I have in years past.

Okay, so school community creates that.

School community.

Okay, now I was gonna say connection, because

I know I've made cross-grade level connections.

As soon as you're wearing your house color,

it's like, oh, you're in my house, too?

But since you kind of said that, it's

just brought a lot of fun, you know?

And it's.

It's made so much more fun and excitement for the

kids and for the staff, and fun is good. So it's just.

It's been fun to watch kids

and staff interact with each other.

Laugh, friendly competition.

So just some intentional fun. Nice.

What do you think, Kelly?

Benefit, I would say, to piggyback

off of what Todd was saying.

It has given us an ability so that

everyone can be seen, and that was something

that we really wanted to reinforce.

And then, obviously, positive reinforcement

of positive behaviors, desired behaviors.

And that's what I was gonna

say was the positive reinforcement.

Very much an advocate of

positivity and being proactive.

So instead of saying, oh, my gosh, I can't believe you did

x, y, and z, it's more of a, thank you so much.

That was so great for you to help that friend.

Like, that was great manners, awesome job working

so hard this quarter and earning that honor

roll or principal's honor or whatever it is,

it just really reinforces the positivity.

And so we don't focus on the negative in

middle school, unfortunately, doesn't matter where you are.

I believe it just has a

negative connotation, like middle school.

Oh, goodness.

That redheaded stepchild. Yeah, right? Yep.

And I think this is.

Just builds a positive light on it so

it doesn't have to be so icky icky. So.

And I would agree with that. I do think.

And you said hormones.

I do think the age of middle school, it's, you

want your independence, but you still want to be.

Belong to a group and feel like someone's

listening to you and still kind of some

of the elementary-type characteristics that you see.

So it is that middle ground, you

know, case in point of the name. So.

So the benefits, I've heard sense of community,

fun, positive reinforcement, all benefits of this house.

So what does it look like next year?

Is it refinement?

Is it a house system 2.0?

What does it look like for next year?

Just replicating the same.

I think one of the big things, and I'll speak

on behalf, although I don't know that we've, you know,

kind of thought that far into next year, but one

of the things that we started to do and we

just haven't done as much of is doing house meetings.

So where we intentionally bring the houses together

in small groups, they're assigned them right now.

We've done two of them so far, but just

to do more regular house meetings where they are

meeting with their house advisor, with a core group

of students in their house, and it's cross-grade

level to really talk through, like goal setting, what's

going well, what could we work on?

You know, just continuing to develop that community and

those relationships within their houses at a more deeper

level is one place that I'd like to see

us kind of dig deeper next year.

We had talked about connecting it to our student

government association and building the student leadership capacity with

having house leaders that is student led.

It's just a lot in one year.

And so we've realized we've done

quite a bit already this year.

We've seen the positive impact.

So I think that avails us now that you have

a whole school that is primarily on board with it

and moving forward, we can bring in some of those

things with now the student leadership initiatives and allowing them

to start taking some ownership and really driving it forward,

you know, and I would add that we're going to

give the champion team time this summer to really kind

of reflect, you know, what are your successes?

Where are the areas that we need the most support?

Where do we go from here?

Because they have been huge.

I mean, that champion team stepped up.

We said, here's the idea that we have.

Who wants to be a part of it?

They came, you know, last summer, sat down and really

kind of laid out a plan for the year.

I think the other piece is looking at some funding,

trying to figure out some grants or some community members

that might want to help support us in that.

So those are some things that we've thought about.

So you've heard it here, the EMS house program.

And what I've heard is that everything that's

being done, even though you, the benefits for

here at Easton Middle School, I think, are

all skills that these students can carry on,

you know, beyond middle school collaboration and communication

goal setting that you talked about.

So I think it's a win

win around what you're instilling.

And so I thank all of you for coming up with,

you know, taking that Ron Clark Academy or whatever and putting

it here, because I know it was a lot of work

on the front end and still on the back end of

keeping it all tight and making sure it's running smoothly.

So I know it was a lot of work on your

end, but I appreciate you all doing that and thinking of

the school as a whole and the impact that you want,

the positive impact that you want to make on our students.

So I thank you all for taking some

time in your busy schedules to sit down

and talk about the AMS house program.

And those of you listening, if you want to know

more, you could tap into any one of them.

I'm sure they'll be glad to give you tidbits

and ideas on how to do this yourself. Absolutely.

Thank you. Bye.