The ICS Way: Elementary Students Investigate Values & Take Action

Take care of yourself. Take care of others. Take care of this place.

This is “The ICS Way.”

On Thursday, Elementary students toured around the campus with their classmates, teachers, counselors, and staff to learn about The ICS Way, which describes the school's culture of care. They visited the cafeteria, playgrounds, classrooms, and other shared spaces, examining how to demonstrate respect in different contexts.

During their journey, teachers and counselors weren’t lecturing students on the rules that governed behavior around campus. They gave students the chance to think explore the concepts of respect, think critically about the spaces, and discuss what behaviors aligned with the school’s values.

"The idea is to encourage students to think about how their actions impact themselves, their community, and the school campus," Elementary School Counselor Daniel Inman said. "We want to guide and empower our learners to use their reflections to create rules around campus that will set themselves up for success."

To share, students wrote their conclusions down on posters under columns listing the three pillars of care listed in The ICS Way philosophy. When their peers from other hubs and grade levels walked by, they discussed ideas that had already been established.

For more about learning in the ICS Elementary School, visit our Learn page.