SEARCY, Ark. – Searcy Public Schools are celebrating the announcement of five schools being named ‘Capturing Kids’ Hearts’ National Showcase School Nominees. The schools nominated include Sidney Deener Elementary School, McRae Elementary School, Westside Elementary School, Ahlf Junior High School, and Southwest Middle School.

“We were elated to learn that all five of our schools who use the ‘Capturing Kids’ Hearts’ program have been nominated as National Showcase Schools,” said Betsy Bailey, School/Community Coordinator for Searcy Schools. “This affirms that our administrators, teachers, and students have embraced the process and are working hard to implement positivity across the board. We love that each level builds on the one before it, and our students are already accustomed to the expectations wherever they might be within the Searcy School District.”

‘Capturing Kids’ Hearts’ is a national program focused on the development of healthy relationships between members of the school’s educational community and teaching effective skills to help participants deal with a number of common classroom issues, including decreasing delinquent behaviors, creating a safe and trusting learning environment in classrooms, developing empathy in students, and increasing classroom attendance.

The Flippen Group describes National Showcase Nominees as schools that “go the extra mile each day to build an environment where students are relationally connected and eager to learn.”

Hundreds of schools nationwide take part in the program, created by the Flippen Group. Ahlf and Southwest are in year three of using the program while the three elementary schools are in year two.

“The ‘Capturing Kids’ Hearts’ process has proven to be tremendously successful on our campuses,” said Bailey. “Students are learning skills that will help them to be better adults in the future. Our teachers find that the positive reinforcements that are being utilized such as social contracts, affirmations, and hand signals allow our students to take ownership of their everyday behaviors. We have seen a decline in discipline referrals, and most importantly, we see positive classroom and campus environments.”

You can learn more about ‘Capturing Kids’ Hearts’ on their website; https://flippengroup.com/capturing-kids-hearts/.