A remarkable transformation at Elverado Community Unit School District 196 is underway. With the district preparing to consolidate three buildings into an $11 million K-8 facility opening in 2027, administrators are using this pivotal moment to revolutionize their approach to student engagement and school culture.

Principal Connie Clendenin, who will take over as superintendent next year, and school social worker Bethany Cottle are implementing the Ron Clark Academy House System at their junior high, serving grades 6-8. The timing couldn't be more strategic – as the district prepares for major physical changes, they're simultaneously building the social and emotional foundation that will carry into their new facility.

"We're really trying to make a turn in the climate and culture of our school," explains Clendenin. "What we really wanted to do was focus on how we can increase our attendance, how we can decrease our disciplinary referrals, and bring a sense of community and belonging for students and staff."

Cottle discovered the approach through an online community of social workers and counselors who had implemented similar systems. Based on Ron Clark's Atlanta school model and reminiscent of Harry Potter houses, the system divides students into six houses with Greek names representing character traits: Amistad (friendship), Isabindi (courage), Sollevare (uplifting), Nukumori (kindness), Onraka (unity), and Protos (success).

The beauty of the system lies in its inclusivity. Each house contains a mix of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders – about 13-14 students per house – along with two staff members. Every employee participates, from teachers and secretaries to custodians and the resource officer. "Everybody belongs somewhere," Cottle emphasizes.

Students remain in the same house for their entire three-year junior high experience, allowing for deep relationship building. Teachers serve as consistent mentors, learning to recognize when students are struggling and need additional support. "We have put a system in place that will allow teachers to recognize when something is off with a student and work towards solutions that are in the best interest of the student," Clendenin notes.

The system operates on multiple levels. Students spend 10-15 minutes in their house homeroom each morning and briefly at day's end, with special extended sessions throughout the year during RTI (Response to Intervention) blocks. During these gatherings, houses work on character education, relationship building, and planning for competitions.

The competitive element drives engagement through a year-long point system. Students earn points individually and for their house through academics, positive behavior, and school spirit. Individual points can be spent at a school store or saved for semester auctions featuring prizes like TVs, Nintendo Switch systems, and special lunch experiences. The house with the most points at year's end receives special recognition.

"It's really about bringing positive behavior, shifting school culture, building school spirit, and camaraderie," Cottle explains. "In a house, you have a family essentially. It's to bring them closer, to learn how to work together and be kind to each other."

The system also incorporates student leadership, with eighth graders in each house being elected as leaders who help plan activities and mentor incoming sixth graders during the spring "Freaky Friday" transition event.

Both administrators emphasize the shift from punitive discipline to positive reinforcement. "The manner in which we worked with students was very punitive heavy," Clendenin reflects. "This is really trying to build kids up and give them something good to work for."

They're tracking success through attendance records and disciplinary referrals, comparing current data with previous years. Both administrators monitor attendance daily and maintain detailed spreadsheets on truancy patterns.

Cottle's vision for success is simple but profound: "I would hope that they find a sense of belonging here at school, in their house and in the school in general, and that their attendance increases, that the discipline goes down, but really overall that they just find their place within the school."

Clendenin sees broader implications: "I want every student and every staff member to know there is no limit to their abilities. Together, we will accomplish so much more than we can by ourselves."