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The new symbol was chosen by the staff, students, and community members through a survey

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Why is school culture/climate so important?

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Why is school culture/climate so important?

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Creating a fantastic work environment "benefits the staff of a school, but ultimately benefits the children" (TEDx Talks, 2013, time 2:29-2:32)

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The administrator must focus on nurturing the “values and beliefs that take on sacred characteristics” (Sergiovanni & Green, 2014, p. 152).

Sparta's Core Values place an emphasis on quality education that will prepare students for participation in the global society.

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Board of Education Overview / Board of Education

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If you encounter a problem with this website, please contact the Webmaster. Access to links on the Sparta Township School District webpage is for informational purposes only as a public service.

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Sergiovanni, T. J., & Green, R.L.  (2014).  The principalship (7th ed.)  Pearson Education [VitalSource Bookshelf]. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780133258523/

[TEDx Talks].  (2013, July 16).  How to create a fantastic workplace environment in your school: John Nicholls at TEDxReykjavík [Video].  YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OgWgeA_aPw

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HOW TO GET STAFF AND STUDENTS ON BOARD (Positive Sparta High School Examples)

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HOW TO GET STAFF AND STUDENTS ON BOARD (Positive Sparta High School Examples)

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1. SPARTA SPIRIT DAY
Sparta Spirit Day - Friday = Sparta Spirit Wear Day.  Sparta Spirit Wear Day = Jeans Day.  Friday = Jeans Day.
[This was a point of contention with the principal who retired - staff wanted a more relaxed dress code, and expressed those concerns in the numerous surveys.  The principal began his Sparta Spirit Day initiative to appease the staff who asked to wear jeans to work.  This compromise dissuaded staff from dressing unprofessionally throughout the entire week, as well as making sure that staff knew their opinions were values]

2. WINTER SPORTS PEP RALLY
[The first day of Marking Period 3 is a half-day for students, who are dismissed at 12:00 and led to a pep rally in the gymnasium.  The teachers are given the afternoon to finish grading midterms, finalize and post student grades, and leave comments in the grade book.  This was conducted on a Friday before grades were due on Monday.  Teachers had voiced concerns that the end of MP2 was very close to the due date for finalized First Semester grades.  Additionally, students expressed how winter sports never get the recognition that fall sports receive.  Administration worked with student liaisons to plan games and competitions between grade levels, and provided security so teachers were alone for the afternoon to accomplish their work]

3. MELANIE'S ANNUAL CONCERT
[Following the death of one of their classmates, the junior class met with the administration team to express their desire to host a fundraiser concert of student musicians to donate to the cancer foundation and Melanie's mother for funeral expenses. The administration took care of organizing the space, providing security, lighting, and other operational needs for the students, who were granted creative liberty and able to host their memorial fundraiser]

4. PIE DAY (3.14)
[Administration, along with the Sparta Education Association and PTA, funded lunch and desserts for staff members on March 14th to celebrate "Pi Day."  All foods were pies, including multiple dessert pies and pizza pies for staff members to consume throughout the day.  This mid-winter pie extravaganza was unexpected and was a way to show staff appreciation]

5. SOCIALLY DISTANT FACULTY BARBECUE 2020
[Following the completion of the first week of school with students in a hybrid setting, administration showed their appreciation for staff members by providing an outdoor barbecue lunch, staff trivia game (with the prize of having their duty covered by an administrator the following Monday), and yard games (such as 🤬, ring toss, and can jam)]

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Communicate with stakeholders, various community group representatives, and all parents to identify the shared values of the community.

These values become central to the mission statement and principals that the school is based off of: The values and beliefs are “closely organized in a highly disciplined fashion around a set of core ideas spelling out the way of life in the school and governing the way in which people should behave.” (Sergiovanni & Green, 2014, p. 152)

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Develop “motivation to work, commitment, enthusiasm, and loyalty to the school” in teachers (Sergiovanni & Green, 2014, p. 153)

Ensure that the values of the community are communicated to the staff so that their teaching is reflective: Teachers are “much more likely to teach in ways that reflect the shared assumptions and beliefs of the faculty as a whole than they are in ways that administrators want, supervisors say, or teacher evaluation instruments require.” (Sergiovanni & Green, 2014, p. 154)

Allow for professional learning communities to take place so that professional development can occur, collaboration can thrive, and teachers can continue to shape their instructional practices through data analysis.

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Provide a safe environment for learning: educational, physical, and social-emotional growth.

The principal is “expected to protect the physical safety of children” (Sergiovanni & Green, 2014, p. 47).

Guarantee that student voices are heard and are represented in the values of the school and its mission statement.

Give students the opportunity to embody the values that are present in their communities.

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How does the principal create and sustain a positive school climate and culture?

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How does the principal create and sustain a positive school climate and culture?

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The principal is responsible for students, staff, and community members.  How these people view the school influences how others view the school, which dictates enrollment, resource allocation, student achievement, and teacher retention and motivation. Staff morale, student participation, and community outreach is influenced by school leadership. School leadership has the biggest impact on the school community as a whole (TEDx Talk, 2013).

School culture and climate is influenced by four themes: "the existence of a self-correcting rational system among people who work in highly interdependent ways; consensus on goals and the means to obtain these goals; coordination by the dissemination of information; and predictability of problems and responses to these problems" (Sergiovanni & Green, 2014, p. 153).

The principal wears many hats.  They must be attentive to the needs of the students, staff, and community members by being malleable and understanding,  while simultaneously providing enough structure to manage all situations.  There is an emphasis on interpersonal relationships to develop and positive school culture.  The principal is the "face" of the organization, so their relationships must be supportive of all the social-emotional needs of its members.