57 Campuses Nominated for Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase Schools™ Award

Since 1990, campuses nationwide have experienced amazing outcomes with Capturing Kids’ Hearts^Ⓡ tools and processes, creating the socio-emotional safety conducive to learning. Through the National Showcase Schools awards, Flippen Group is again recognizing and celebrating schools that go the extra mile each day, building an environment where students are relationally connected and eager to learn.

These 57 campuses are being considered for this honor for the 2016-2017 school year:

• Andrew Jackson Middle School, Grand Prairie, Texas ● Principal Robert Wallace
• Anson Jones Elementary, Bryan, Texas ● Principal Linda Montoya
• Ash Fork Schools, Ash Fork, Arizona ● Superintendent Seth Staples*
• Bagdad Elementary, Milton, Florida ● Principal Daniel Baxley
• Camp Verde Middle School, Camp Verde, Arizona ● Principal Danny Howe*
• Canyon Creek Elementary, Austin, Texas ● Principal April Crawford
• Central Elementary, Nevada, Iowa ● Principal Joel Fey
• Challenger Intermediate, Goddard, Kansas ● Principal Jess Herbig
• Conner Creek Academy East, Roseville, Michigan ● Principal/Assistant Superintendent Karen Smith*
• Community Outreach Academy, McClellan, California ● Principal Larissa Gonchar
• Country Meadows Elementary, Peoria, Arizona ● Principal Val Barrett*
• Crockett Elementary, Bryan, Texas ● Principal Debi Ehrhardt
• Diane Patrick Elementary, Grand Prairie, Texas ● Principal Matt Brown
• E.C. Mason Elementary, Manvel, Texas ● Principal Renea Rivas
• East Ridge Elementary, Sweetwater, Texas ● Principal Vicki Mayberry
• Emery Elementary, Katy, Texas ● Principal Michelle Merricks
• Forest North Elementary, Austin, Texas ● Principal Amy Jacobs
• Fort Elementary, Royse City, Texas ● Principal Danette Dodson
• Freeman Elementary, Haysville, Kansas ● Principal, Dr. Donna Ferguson
• Fronteras Spanish Immersion Charter, Wasilla, Alaska ● Principal Jennifer Hutchins
• Gateway International School, Sacramento, California ● Principal Joi Tikoi
• Goddard Middle School, Goddard, Kansas ● Principal Lisa Hogarth
• Gower West Elementary, Willowbrook, Illinois ● Principal Gina Rodewald*
• Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, Grand Prairie, Texas ● Principal Maria Schell
• Haysville West Middle School, Haysville, Kansas ● Principal Ildo Martins
• Jim Maples Academy, Porterville, California ● Principal Mitzie Styles
• Johnson Elementary, Bryan, Texas ● Principal Amy Newbold*
• Knightdale High School of Collaborative Design, Knightdale, North Carolina ● Principal, Dr. James Argent
• Liberty Middle School, Liberty, Texas ● Principal Rhonda Smith
• Memminger School of Global Studies, Charleston, South Carolina ● Principal, Dr. Abigail Woods
• Miss May Vernon Elementary, Fate, Texas ● Principal Shannon Hayes
• Nelson Elementary, Haysville, Kansas ● Principal Mike Mitchener
• New Temple Elementary, South El Monte, California ● Principal John Gannon
• O’Neal Elementary School, Poplar Bluff, Missouri ● Principal Amy Dill
• Oak Grove Elementary, Porterville, California ● Principal Troy Hayes
• Ocotillo Elementary, Palmdale, California ● Principal Larry Lueck
• Pine Grove Elementary, Avon, Connecticut ● Principal Jess Giannini
• Pioneer Continuation High School, Redding, California ● Principal Els Prigmore
• Poplar Bluff Junior High School, Poplar Bluff, Missouri ● Principal Bob Case
• Pray-Woodman Elementary, Maize, Kansas ● Principal Nils Gabrielson
• RB Stall High School, North Charleston, South Carolina ● Principal Jeremy Carrick*
• Ridgegate Elementary, Houston, Texas ● Principal Felicia Holmes
• Ruth Clark Elementary, Wichita, Kansas ● Principal Carla Wulf
• Sacramento Academic & Vocational Academy, Sacramento, California ● Principal Morri Elliott
• Sherrod Elementary, Palmer, Alaska ● Principal Dan Michael*
• Southeast Elementary, Sweetwater, Texas ● Principal Peggy Elliott
• St. James Middle School, St. James, Missouri ● Principal Kaaren Lepper
• Stephen F. Austin Middle School, Bryan, Texas ● Principal, Dr. Brandon Jayroe
• Summit Charter Academy Lombardi Campus, Porterville, California ● Principal Treasure Weisenberger
• Sweetwater High School, Sweetwater, Texas ● Principal, Dr. Ron Morris
• Taft High School, Taft, Texas ● Principal Angel Lopez*
• Thunderbolt Middle School, Lake Havasu, Arizona ● Principal Mari Jo Mulligan*
• Turtle Bay School, Redding, California ● Principal A.J. Anderson
• Union Hill Elementary, Round Rock, Texas ● Principal Kim Connelly
• Vandagriff Elementary, Aledo, Texas ● Principal Stephanie Covington
• Voigt Elementary, Round Rock, Texas ● Principal Cheryl Hester
• Wasilla High School, Wasilla, Alaska ● Principal Carol Boatman*

*Indicates schools that received a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase Schools award for the 2015-2016 school year and have again been nominated to be considered for the 2016-2017 awards.

Creating high performing classrooms is no easy task.

The typical classroom is comprised of twenty or more students with diverse family backgrounds and expectations for behavior, randomly assembled into a cohort, and required to learn together. Too often, the impact of peer pressure and outside influences create a classroom culture that passively or even actively resists learning.

Teachers are tasked with raising the bar on student performance while competing against social, environmental, and outside pressures as never before. While researchers and officials work to determine the most effective curricula, teachers struggle to manage their classrooms and meet parental and administrator’s expectations.

How can today’s teacher transform a classroom from a disruptive, reactive environment into a place where put-downs and criticism dissipate, and students’ minds become actively engaged in learning?

The Flippen Group, a national professional development provider founded by Flip Flippen in 1990, believes what the research demonstrates – that students are most likely to succeed when they are emotionally safe and able to reconnect with their natural curiosity. Flippen processes provide educators the skills they need to change the trajectory of students’ lives. Openness replaces defensiveness. Judging and feelings of being judged are replaced with acceptance and real connectedness to the school. “Discipline problems nearly non-existent,” and “Academic achievement constantly improving,” are common feedback following implementation of the highly acclaimed Capturing Kids’ Hearts processes.

The Flippen Group believes that when unsung education heroes produce exemplary outcomes in schools and pave the way for other schools to follow, they need and deserve recognition for a job well done. Please join us in congratulating and honoring these schools and their leaders for their dedication and commitment!

For more information about the Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase Schools awards, contact:

Tanya Peterson
Flippen Group
Office Phone: 1-800-316-4311
Office Fax: 1-877-941-4700
info@flippengroup.com
www.flippengroup.com