The Louisa Middle School has a new program happening for students and teachers this school year. This program is the LMS House System- 3 Houses, One Family. This point-based system rewards positive student behaviors and initiatives. The program was introduced to LMS by 7th grade math teacher Jessica Helton. Ms. Helton learned about the program from other school educators in the region, who are implementing it within their schools. The program aligns with the LC Schools PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support) and the 4R’s program of Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready, and Build Relationships.
How does the program work?
This program divides students and teachers into 3 houses or groups. These houses are named Kuleana, Listo, and Heshima, which are words that have positive meanings in different languages.
- Kuleana is Hawaiian meaning responsible. In this house, emphasis is placed on responsibility to oneself and community.
- Listo is Spanish meaning ready, wise, and clever. In this house, the mission is to help others. Being ready to listen and act when needed.
- Heshima is Swahili meaning respect, dignity, and honor. In this house, members value doing the right thing, even when it's not the easy thing.
LMS students and teachers are randomly placed into one of the three houses or groups. Each of the houses are made up of a combination of 6-8th grade students. This gives the students the opportunity to build relationships with other students and teachers beyond their own grade.
Teachers will assign points to students for many activities. Some examples of points students may earn include helping others, being kind, earning good grades, having excellent attendance, and winning challenges. These points are tracked daily to help motivate students to work hard for their team. The house with the most points will be rewarded throughout the year and at the end of the school year! Go check out the leaderboard! It is constantly changing because the system is updated the moment teachers add points for the students.
Since this is the first year of using this system, they are working to establish a house logo. LMS students are encouraged to submit a house logo design onto the website designated for students. This program is in the beginning stages, but LMS educators are encouraged by the positive feedback they are receiving about the LMS House System!