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Starpoint Middle School rolls out weekly "Spartan Circles" to build student social-emotional skills
Summary
Starpoint Middle School has launched a district-backed program of weekly community circles called Spartan Circles, with scripted materials, teacher training and a revised homeroom schedule intended to increase student connectedness and reduce disciplinary referrals.
Starpoint Middle School has implemented a districtwide program of weekly community circles — branded “Spartan Circles” — that runs for 30 minutes on Wednesday mornings during an adjusted homeroom schedule and aims to build students’ social-emotional skills and connections.
Administrators said the program began in September 2024 and uses a scripted binder of prompts and supporting slides so any teacher can lead a circle. The school reorganized homerooms so almost every teacher now has a homeroom of about 12–15 students; on Wednesdays homeroom runs from 7:40 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. and other class periods are shortened across the day to accommodate the change.
School leaders said the decision responded to increases in referrals and suspensions and to research on restorative practices. A district presenter summarized independent literature reviews showing that…
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