Imagine you are a fourth grade student. You live in poverty. You don’t know where your next meal will come. You witness things that no 10 year old should ever have to see. You are lost and afraid – but for 6+ hours a day you are safe. You are cared for. Your needs are met. You are loved. Your school’s mission is …

Reaching, Teaching, Learning … Changing Lives

One of the highlights of covering the ASCD conference in Houston, TX, as a member of the press, was the pleasure of spending time with staff from this year’s recipient of Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award … Magnolia Elementary School in Joppa, MD. You can find the ASCD Press release here. The deep pride in their school community was evident as the staff spoke. The common thread – we are in this TOGETHER! 

If I were that 4th grade child in the opening paragraph, I would want to attend Magnolia Elementary or a school like it that was supporting my needs. A school that would be able to provide me social, emotional and academic support. A school that would support my family in a variety of ways from having a food pantry accessible in the school to helping me and my family get the physical and social-emotional health  support we need from a wide variety of community action groups.

At one point in our conversation, the assistant principal, Stacey McCord, called the 4th grade teacher over to our table to tell us about her Friday Caping. As a former fourth grade teacher myself I envisioned the excitement of her students as they received superhero capes on Friday for good deeds and accomplishments. What a marvelous idea to fill students with the confidence they need to face any challenge! The school’s Twitter account picture is even … I Teach, What’s your Super Power?

The month of March was one of recognition for Magnolia Elementary. Not only were they the 2015 recipient of Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award but they returned home from Houston, TX, to receive the 2015 Maryland School of Character Award! Read the press release here.

Thank you, Magnolia Elementary! Your compassion and collaborative approach to meeting the needs of the WHOLE CHILD is inspirational!

Staff members from Magnolia Elementary at the ASCD Conference in Houston, TX via a Twitter picture.