New Boston Elementary was recognized nationally as a showcase school for creating a safe and welcoming environment for students on the campuses.
Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH) recognized NBES as a National Showcase School for the 2024-2025 school year. NBES was one of less than 900 schools given this distinction nationally.
“One thing we’ve been working on at New Boston Elementary is making sure we’re a place that students want to come to spend their time and to learn and that they feel safe and appreciated while they’re there,” said Lindsay Skinner, principal of NBES.
NBES consists of Oakview Primary and Crestview Elementary campuses.
“Capturing Kids Hearts is a social, emotional learn-ing mindset. It’s really not a program, it’s more a way of thinking. It’s centered on building relationships and providing safe environments and comfortable settings for students. A lot of what we do is all about starting the day with positive meetings and greetings, making part of the school day about sharing good things, giving the affirmation and then allowing students the opportunity to be in charge of a lot of the things in the classroom,” said Lindsay Skinner, NBES principal.
NBES is in year two of the mindset program . The first year, Skinner said they focused on getting staff and faculty on board with the training necessary to facilitate a more positive learning experience for the students.
In the second year, they implemented it with students.
One of the parts of the curriculum, Skinner said, is what they call “family time on campus.”
“That’s part of our everyday curriculum and routine to sit down and spend some time talking about responsibility,” she added.
One of the reasons Skinner said the program seemed to be an important part of the curriculum to implement was because of post-COVID learning.
“The fifth graders this year were kindergarteners when COVID happened. So they’ve lived through a different era where things are just much more technology- based. It’s much more social media based and not much face-to-face communication. So those are the things we’ve had to really work to try to overcome,” she said.
“(CKH) really puts the focus back on building relationships, getting to know each other, celebrating the good things, focusing on positives.”
Capturing Kids Hearts began in 1990 in College Station. It has since been used by more than 37,000 educators each year nationwide.
Recognizing a school as a National Showcase School is a rigorous evaluation process, according to CKH officials.
Skinner said that, at the request of Region 8, they have hosted area schools to tour the facilities and visit with staff and classrooms.
“Over the last two years, we’ve had 15 area schools come visit and walk our classrooms for input and advice. So I certainly see it as something we’re doing right,” she added.
But she said that NBES is still striving to be better for the community and their students.
“It’s been a very needed part of our school and something we’re just thrilled with … New Boston Elementary isn’t quite where it needs to be … we have been a mediocre school and we don’t want to be mediocre. We think our community deserves the best and our kids deserve the best,” Skinner said.
