The moment you walk into the school, the feeling is almost palpable; you are not sure what it is, what’s different, but there is an unmistakable feeling you can’t quite place. And then you see them — pictures of kids all over the walls, sporting huge smiles with their names, grade levels and captions beneath each one reading Caring, Courage, Empathy, Kindness, Support, Integrity, Honor and Respect. Querying the librarian about these kids and their unmistakable joy in the photos, she says smiling, “Oh, this is a “Capturing Kids’ Hearts School.”
Loving the notion, I nodded as if I understood the concept, but truth be told, I had no idea what she meant. Then I began to see the signs. Each student who came by the library not only greeted and hugged the librarian, but also spoke to me – a complete stranger – in a polite and gracious manner before they made their exit and headed back to class or to the office to make a morning delivery.
In traveling to dozens of elementary schools for author visits over the past couple of years, I have never seen anything quite like the impact Capturing Kids’ Hearts seems to be having on the kids, the schools, the teachers and the administrators. Not only is it surprising, it is inspiring and hopeful on so many levels.
At every school, with this program in place, the author visit experience was the same. While sharing Giraffes in My Closet, chatting about the books’ many messages and engaging the students in a fun giraffe fact experience, the kids were polite, attentive and respectful to me, and to one another. And in several schools, the special education students were included in the author visit; it was wonderful! No matter their disability, the other kids welcomed them and cared for them during the reading, inviting them to sit next to them as they listened and participated together. The kindness and caring was something to see and experience, a reminder – from the kids – of what we could all use a bit more of these days.
How Capturing Kids’ Hearts works… On the very first day of school, students – from pre-K through high school – enter into a social contract in which students and teachers agree on how they should treat one another and their peers. As part of that contract, each month schools support a specific theme or character quality with students learning and engaging in Capturing Kids’ Hearts topics such as empathy, teamwork, respect, responsibility, kindness and caring. Even the littlest pre- K kids have a contract; it is simply accomplished with images rather than words. The program is designed to create an atmosphere, a culture of integrity and mutual respect as students and teachers develop skills to be intentional, relational and high performing.
The results of having Capturing Kids’ Hearts in place are definitely telling the tale, as administrators say data is reflecting attendance and test scores have risen and behavioral issues diminished. It is apparent, this program is a significant opportunity to inspire kids to treat themselves and others with respect, kindness and caring, while simultaneously inspiring them – from day one – on a lifelong journey of learning and, in turn, loving to read.
Cheers to school districts like Corpus Christi ISD in Texas and others throughout the Lone Star State and the U.S. who have made this impactful investment in Capturing Kids’ Hearts; it’s working!
To learn more about Capturing Kids’ Hearts click on this link. https://www.capturingkidshearts.org/
“If you have a child’s heart, you have a child’s mind”
—Flip Flippen
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors and the most patient of teachers.”
— Charles W. Elliot
