What does your child's school do that other schools ought to imitate?

Question

Does your child's school have a particular approach to discipline, parent communication, academics, fitness, the arts, fundraising, or anything else that you think is unusual and that other schools would do well to imitate? If so, what?

On the flip side, does your school have policies that are intended to be new and helpful but in practice were a really bad idea ... and other schools should avoid them?

Answer 1

My kids' elementary school does this thing once a month that I think is pretty cool. The mascot is the Husky, so they call these meetings "Husky Packs" The basic idea to these meetings is to pair all of the kids up in groups, so they have a couple kids from each grade (K - 5) and then work together on problem solving, puzzles, ect. It gives the little kids a chance to learn from the big kids, and the big kids a chance to teach the little kids. My kids love it!

One thing I'm not too fond of at their school is the bus rider vs. car rider policy. You have to pick one or the other, and that is their permanent status. So if I ever want to pick them up, I have to go in the office and sign them out, instead of having a windshield placard like the other parents. I understand it's for safey reasons, it's just annoying, especially in the rain/sleet/snowy weather!

Answer 2

I go to an eary college highschool in Utah. My favorite thing is that we have a small campus and the principal and counselors know every student personally. It's really nice to have your principal stop you in the hall and ask you how you're physics class is going.

Answer 3

My highschool suspended kids for things they couldn't prove (a friend of mine spent lunch our with me at my house and he got suspended for lighting garbage cans on fire because he was the most likely suspect.)

Also our school was renovated but they spent to much money on it. So none of the classrooms have clocks, the drama stage was done wrong (curtains are backwards, no stage lights and it blocks sound) and there are no fire extinguishers in one wing.

Answer 4

My son's middle school holds an Honor Roll breakfast at the beginning of each new quarter.  The breakfast is just donuts and coffee, juice or milk, but it's perfect!  Any kid who made either of the top two honor rolls the previous quarter is invited, along with his/her parents.  During the breakfast, the principal calls each student up one at a time to receive a certificate.

Answer 5

My kids school runs a youth club on a Monday evening. It is only for the children of the school to attend but it gives them time to socialise safely with their classmates.