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Minnewashita Elementary principal reports gains on student belonging and examples of connection
Summary
Principal Cindy Andrus told the school board students' sense of belonging improved and shared classroom examples, including a student who moved from isolation to participation and other student-created projects.
Cindy Andrus, principal of Minnewashita Elementary, told the Minnetonka School Board on May 29 that student-reported perceptions of connection and belonging showed improvement this year and shared several classroom stories to illustrate the work.
Andrus said the school’s student survey showed perceptions rising to 79%, closing the gap between student and staff responses by four percentage points. She described a schoolwide emphasis on predictable routines, "banking time" with students, warm welcomes and morning circles as central practices.
"When I saw that start to happen this year, that was really great," Andrus said of one student named Ivan who "came to us at the beginning of last year and couldn't leave the Atlas Room" but later participated in third-grade classroom activities and collaborated with peers.
The principal showed video examples and described other student-centered initiatives: a student-produced morning weather video series that helped a child connect to homeroom peers; a classroom that illustrated and published a book which parents are placing in the Library of Congress; and a positive school-bus report from a driver highlighting a student's leadership while greeting riders. Andrus said small, flexible changes to individual behavior plans (for example creating bonus points for specific goals) had helped students participate more fully.
Andrus also highlighted schoolwide service projects, including a school-led peace site assembly and student-led efforts to collect food for the ICA Food Shelf.
The presentation was delivered as the school report portion of the meeting. Board members thanked Andrus for the detailed examples and the principal answered questions about the school's practices and outcomes.
No board action was taken on the school report.
