The Culture of a School or Ode to a Principal

School culture, the symbolic gestures and philosophical underpinnings that express "the way we do things" are woven seamlessly into school life here. I asked the school principal how she defined the school culture and beyond academics, she identified the values education that is embedded in the curriculum, along with the authentic nurturing provided by the school staff, as essential to the continued growth of the school.

These ideas are expressed symbolically everyday. Each morning the children, k-12, gather on the playground to sing, to listen to a story, to say the Indian national pledge in unison, and to pray. Students of all religions represented in the school, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian, come together during this time.









Children are expected to show kindness, thoughtfulness, and respect towards each other. They are required to look their best, following a strict dress code.















Parents are involved.



The philosophy that "we are in this together" is visible in symbol, student proximity, and philosophy.








This includes the principal. For example, she has situated her office in reverse. Her desk is right inside the door. Each morning she signs any notes from parents brought in by students, she welcomes any impromptu parent who arrives, and she has a handful of children who must check in with her to receive extra encouragement or as a reminder about a behavior in remediation...


Most of the day she is out and about the school. With a quiet, nurturing demeanor she models her expectations.








Even with the limited resources at hand, she is positive and thinking towards reforms and improvements for the school.


This is only a glimmer and glance at the complex structures that define this school and I am only an outsider looking in. But If this were my town, this is somewhere I would want to be.