South Western City Schools
Riding the Hogwarts Express or waving a wand while calling out magical spells are things many Harry Potter fans may wish were a part of the real world. What about a real-life house system?
South Western City Schools brought that magic to life through its house system at several of its schools, most recently adding Holt Crossing Intermediate School (HCIS) to the list.
The point system and house pride found in the district rival the Hogwarts Houses system, allowing fifth and sixth graders to feel a sense of belonging through increased engagement with their school.
Goals in development
After COVID-19, educators across the U.S. noticed a lack of engagement in students. The staff at HCIS saw this firsthand and created a house system to strengthen the school’s connections.
“Kids came back from COVID and were lacking a sense of community, pride and spirit in school,” sixth-grade HCIS teacher Meredith Thornton says.
Thornton says HCIS’s adoption of the house system came after the creation of Hayes Intermediate School’s House System, which inspired staff at HCIS to create their own inclusive network.
Many stars. One sky." - House Motto
South Western City Schools
How it works
Within school there are 10 houses, all named after constellations, made up of 60-70 fifth and sixth graders as well as every staff member from across the school. Sixth graders are nominated and chosen by teachers to become house leaders by demonstrating excellent leadership and service skills.
“It’s really good to connect people from across different sides of the school,” Vulpecula House member and sixth grader Carmen Wolfe says. “If you don’t know lots of people from that area, it really helps to get to know those people and feel a sense of belonging in the school.”
Students earn points for their house through acts of kindness, leadership and service by means of complimenting one another, taking initiative in class and participating in community service opportunities.
“Sometimes we make scarves for animal shelters, sometimes we write notes for retirement homes and the military. Anything to keep the world a little brighter,” Wolfe says.
Assemblies hosted in the combined gym and cafeteria space every Wednesday allow additional opportunities for students to earn points through various games that provide a fun and unique way to get students up and active as well as connecting with each other.
“It’s fun to just hang out with people for a little bit, and not have to do school work all day. It brings people together,” Wolfe says.
All points earned throughout each quarter go towards trophies that are awarded at the end of each quarter.
South Western City Schools
Constellation-inspired house names
- Vulpecula
- Aquila
- Lacerta
- Cygnus
- Canis
- Leo
- Lupus
- Ursa
- Columba
- Delphinus
Hopes for an inclusive future
South Western City Schools
Many students embrace the anticipation of getting placed in a house with their friends. Wolfe says she has seen several incoming students get excited for the sorting ceremony.
“My neighbor told me about houses and tried to get me hyped up, because she’s a house leader like I am now. She was like, ‘Oh, you want to come to my house!’” Wolfe says.
Other students anticipate leadership opportunities. Fifth-grade teacher Ellen Schmidt discusses how the future she envisions with the house system motivated her to become more involved with the House Committee Team, which she joined just this past year.
“I see what the future could be and we’re trying to bring a lot of things together through houses. A safe space, connectedness, service,” Schmidt says.
Fostering connections between staff and students is a goal HCIS hopes to build off of to allow for a deeper sense of community at the school. Community service projects and increased team spirit are also elements that HCIS hopes to strengthen to create a brighter future for students.
Staff hope students continue engaging with the house system, and express their excitement for a long time to come.
“We hope that kids continue to love (the houses) and care about them, and that we can grow in our ability to make them a positive force at Holt Crossing,” Schmidt says.
Sandhya Kannan is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
