Elementary Students Collaborate on Campus Posters Displaying "ICS Way"

Elementary students are continuing to take more ownership over the learning, experience, and environment.

The ICS Way is a philosophy of care at our school: We respect ourselves, each other, and this place. Heading into the 2022-2023 school year, students across all grade levels collaborated to create agreements about how to live the ICS Way in different locations around their building.

“Students are empowered to use their voices and critical-thinking skills about safety and responsibility around ICS,” Elementary School Counselor Cassidy Storm said. “The use of self-reflection and personal agency are critical components in this process. These are the skills and practices we continuously encourage in student learning and experiences.”

The posters, which are set to be hung throughout the buildings and learning spaces, feature statements, drawings, and designs created by the students.

One especially outstanding element are the “shape people” characterized throughout the designs. The shape people were created by one student in Grade 3 and are designed to illustrate the diversity of the Elementary School’s student population and demonstrate inclusion.

“We prompted the students to draw simple icons to represent the different guidelines that they came up with. It turned out to be a challenging process, but one that was also fun for kids to do,” Design, Creativity, and Innovation Teacher Ross Connelly said. “Students were very engaged when creating artwork for a concrete purpose. It is exciting to see their work shared in a meaningful and practical way at our school.