As NVMS grows, so does Character Strong curriculum

Nooksack Valley Middle School grew by 60 students this year, up to a record 430 students to start the school calendar. And as the school year gets going, every one of those students is spending time putting a focus on building character, creating relationships and growing connections.

“If we can get them to feel safe at school and develop friendships, they are much more likely to do well academically,” says Joel VanderYacht, principal.

To that end, NVMS runs a 45-minute Advisory period to start every school day for the first three weeks — the Advisory then dials back to twice weekly the remainder of the school year — using the Character Strong curriculum in order to have grade-level lessons focused on improving the culture of the school.

“I hope the kids will see a change in the culture of our building,” says Barb Lambert, teacher. “It is more than a curriculum, it is a culture. I love it. I love that it creates a culture of community-building, growth mindset and talks about how character is a habit.”

This year, Nooksack Valley Middle School has embraced the “character dare” challenges as part of the curriculum, whether something simple as smiling at people in the hallways or holding doors open for others. VanderYacht says some students have really taken the challenges to heart already, holding doors open for entire busloads of students in the morning or a group of students who hold the doors for streams of students returning inside the building after lunch.

“It is about getting them the idea of looking beyond myself and how do I help others,” VanderYacht says. One current challenge, especially important for sixth graders coming together from three elementary buildings last year, has students attempting to learn four new names each day for two weeks.

“Advisory has a lot to do with connections, feeling safe at school and building community,” VanderYacht says.

NVMS introduced Character Strong in fall 2018, putting a focus on the habits of patience and kindness. Highlighting character growth, Lambert says, carries over into both academics and becoming citizenship ready. “If a kid is feeling safe and connected to you, they will do anything for you and that helps their academics,” she says. “It is getting at that other part of the kid and not just focusing on one part.”

Lambert uses the example of creating confidence by shaking hands or building kindness by opening doors. “It is self-confidence, it is building a community,” she says. “That is what I’m excited about, building relationships, being kind on purpose and building that habit.”