School Stories

A.      Fredstrom Elementary School – Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska

“Fredstrom Elementary has used the Whole Child approach to educate stakeholders and the community about the Whole Child philosophy, empower teacher leadership, and bring clarity to the school improvement process.”—Vicki Schulenberg, Principal—Vicki Schulenberg, Principal (Le Sueur-Henderson Middle School/High School)

B.      Le Sueur-Henderson Public Schools–Independent School District #2397 in Le Sueur, Minnesota

“Our small, rural middle and high school has long prided itself on knowing our students well and being able to adapt to meet a student’s needs. If an individual student was running into trouble with the system that was in place, our teachers and administrators worked hard to find a way to get that student what he or she needed. However, by joining the WCN, our school has learned ways to Move away from just helping an individual student who struggles with the Educational system towards building an entire school that fits the needs of each of our students. For our school, this work began by finding ways to better meet students’ basic needs for health and safety, especially in areas like mental health support, food service programs, and sustaining students’ connections with teachers. As our school has continued to work towards creating an engaging, supportive, and challenging environment, we’ve focused on things like teacher growth and on EXPlaning options for students to meet their learning goals.” —Stacy Carpenter, School Counselor

C.       Urban Community School-Diocese of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio

“The tenets of the Whole Child approach allow us to maintain our commitment to the mission of Urban Community School as well as to educate, support, engage, and love the next generation as we prepare them to lead productive lives in which they contribute to society as a whole.”—Natalie Celeste, Middle School Vice Principal