Mary Wilson, principal of Manitou Park Elementary School, received one of two 2010 Educating the Whole Child Awards given recently by the Washington State Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (WSASCD). Wilson became Manitou Park’s principal in 2006.
Manitou Park Elementary School used to be seen as one of the most violent and academically challenged in Tacoma Public Schools. Historically, many students entered Manitou Park unprepared to learn and struggling with physical and emotional issues.
Realizing that something needed to be done to impact students and learning, a series of events and connections with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and other external partners led Wilson to begin implementation of a Compassionate Schools framework at Manitou Park.
Professional development for school staff focused on understanding characteristics of traumatized children and issues related to cultural competency. From that foundation, classroom strategies and schoolwide efforts to address social skills, self-regulation, behavior modification and other barriers to learning were addressed. School, family and outside agencies and experts were drawn into the process to address all aspects related to student success.
“The award is the result of a collaborative effort by the district, our staff, students and parents who embraced the principles of the Compassionate School Model. The award is shared by all,” Wilson said.
The BERC Group School and Classroom Practices Study, conducted in fall 2009, found that “over the past four years since the current principal arrived at the school, administrators and staff have been working to address safety issues, discipline issues, staff issues, parent involvement issues and focus on improving learning in reading, writing and particularly math.”
According to WSASCD, it is clear that Wilson has supported a nurturing learning environment at the school for both staff and students, strong relationships among staff, and strong parent and family involvement. These capable and knowledgeable administrators work well together and set high standards for the staff and students both academically and behaviorally that will continue to move the school forward.
The Educating the Whole Child awards were presented at the 2010 WSASCD Annual Conference in Spokane Oct. 15. Dr. Tammy Campbell, executive director of Teaching and Learning with the Spokane Public Schools, received the award on the east side of the state.
Founded in 1956, Washington State ASCD is an inclusive professional association for all educators, facilitating continuous professional growth and advocating for instructional leadership to ensure success for each learner.
For more information on the WSASCD awards, contact Kathy Clayton at kclaytonascd@gmail.com or call 509-270-2907.