Govalle Elementary Honors the Whole Child

As we arrived at Govalle Elementary, home of the Roadrunners, we were greeted by the safety patrol team, and presented with beautiful flowers that were cut from Govalle's own Pink Panther Kinder Garden! Principal Nancy Maniscalco leads this campus of about 400 students. She told us that she's very proud, not only of Govalle's great teachers and staff, but of the growing cadre of parent volunteers who help the school in so many important ways.

In the Parent Room, we met Parent Support Specialist Dolores Perez with PTA and Dad's Club representative, Mike Barron. The Govalle Dads have formed the first-ever Govalle Dads Club with 25 members and growing. They have organized many outstanding parent education and enrichment activities this year, and have had great fun helping teachers, and building school-community support through events such as "Dads v. Teachers" basketball games (the dads win) and Tug-of-War (parents win). There is also an ePrometoras program that is very important for parents of young children, newborn to age 5. The parents also organize science, math, and reading activities that support the teachers' work in the classroom.

Govalle is very proud of its school-wide implementation of Social, Emotional Learning (SEL) in every classroom this year! In Lyndie Garrett's class, we saw a Peace Center where students take "time out" to learn how to solve problems (How do I feel? What is the problem? What can I do?) through responsibility, respectfulness, and doing their best. A first grade student (with a lot of personality) explained how the center works. First, you reflect on your feelings and how you treated other people. When you are ready, you use five steps: 
1) I feel _____ because ______.
2) Take ownership by explaining.
3) Apologize (I am sorry for _________.)
4) Accept apology (Okay, I accept your apology.)
5) Shake hands. 

This is just the beginning of the Social, Emotional Learning (SEL) culture of the school. Results have been remarkable! The children have developed amazing problem-solving skills and use their Peace Centers to resolve conflicts with one another, and to "cool down" when necessary. Govalle's teachers are developing true classroom communities in which their students can feel supported, safe, and empowered to manage their learning as well. 

 The school has integrated SEL activities with PBS, and it's worked beautifully.  Students receive Peace Tickets for excellent behavior and are recognized each day at morning assembly. Wonderful parent volunteers attach these green tickets as "leaves" to the four Peace Trees located in the hallways so the students are continually recognized. With a significant decrease in office referrals this year, students remain in their classrooms with very little loss of instructional time. Govalle is excited about taking this important step in beginning to eliminate one critical obstacle to student success.
 

Beginning last year, through their involvement with the UT Urban Education Pilot, all Govalle teachers received great training in SEL curriculum and each received 2nd Step SEL Resource kits. This year, all teachers plan and teach a weekly SEL lesson, with reinforcement throughout the week, and have established Peace Areas in their classrooms.


I enjoyed meeting Teacher of Promise Beth Tousek and her kinder students who were happily involved in a fine motor skill development and memory experience called Tootie Ta! You'd have to see it to believe it! I did it, but felt very, very dizzy afterward. It was a mix of crazy movement: Thumbs up. Elbows back. Feet apart. Knees together. Bottoms up. Tongue out. Eyes shut. Turnaround. Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta, Tootie ta ... you get the idea. Of course, the kids loved it. 

Ms. Tousek's class presented me with really sweet letters addressed to "Dr. Carstarphen" and multiple versions of my name — Dr. C, Ms. C, Dr. Car, Sra. Carstarphen, etc., but I loved them all. Celestina was especially eloquent in describing what her teachers mean to her. "We are always safe because our teachers are always looking out for us," she wrote.

We found some PreK youngsters enjoying Splash Day on this warm, almost-summer, morning. I was jealous that I couldn't join them in the water fun!

Ryan O'Donnell is Govalle's Teacher of the Year. He wasn't able to be at school today, but I want to acknowledge and thank him for his exemplary efforts on behalf of the children.



4th grade students and their Reading Buddies were enjoying books on the Courtyard deck. Jazzy and Alazey performed their a Talent Show rap also on the deck.







Time to get back on the bus. Goodbye, Roadrunners.  I enjoyed learning about our wonderful school and can't wait to come back!