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Tecumseh principal highlights CARES character program and student‑adult connection survey
Summary
Principal Ashley Carducci told the Jamesville‑Dewitt Board that Tecumseh Elementary is emphasizing a CARES character framework, buddy classrooms and a student survey to identify trusted adults; the school is using the results to create check‑in supports and build staff‑student connections.
At the Nov. 17 Jamesville‑Dewitt Board of Education meeting, Tecumseh Elementary Principal Ashley Carducci described steps the school is taking to strengthen positive behavior and student connections during the first marking period of the 2025–26 school year.
Carducci said the school has centered its work on a CARES acronym — cooperation, assertive (assertiveness), responsibility, empathy and self‑control — and that staff lead daily routines and monthly character focuses to reinforce those habits. “We are this year taking care of ourselves, taking care of others, and taking care of our school,” Carducci said, describing a schoolwide song and routines tied to the work.
She outlined several practical moves: buddy‑classroom pairings (pre‑K with 2nd grade, kindergarten with 3rd, 1st with 4th), a student survey completed in the first 10 weeks asking every child to name an adult they feel most connected to, and follow‑up actions so that identified adults carve out time for lunch check‑ins or more formal check‑in/out supports for students who need them.
Carducci also noted PTG contributions such as mounted ‘‘little libraries’’ in the front foyer and a recent inclusive‑playground fundraising effort; the PTG recently ran a golf tournament to help buy an outdoor communication board. She said teacher peer observations and scheduled professional learning are part of aligning curriculum and culture across classrooms.
The presentation closed with an invitation for board members and the community to visit and with a brief video illustrating the building's weekly routines and events.
