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Throughout my career as an educator, I have learned that there are four basic needs, not three. Beyond the obvious food, water, and shelter, there is the fourth essential element of mankind: love, or the need to feel as though we belong.
The concepts of "being loved" or “belonging” go far beyond their superficial meanings; they fulfill a fundamental biological need to connect and be a part of something greater than oneself. In today’s school environment this concept holds great significance because when students feel a sense of belonging within their school community, their potential for growth and learning expands exponentially. Unfortunately, when students do not feel as though they belong, the achievement gap increases, our faculty and staff’s jobs become much more difficult, and unfortunately none of us reach our full potential.
Our goal is to create a culture where every student and staff member feels valued, understood and accepted for who they are as a person as well as for their actions. Creating an environment where students and staff reach their full potential is nothing new; this has always been a goal. The difference is that we are now verbalizing how we are going to do it.
A sense of belonging bolsters one’s self-esteem, resiliency, and overall well-being and takes us to our school motto… Enter to learn, Go forth to serve!
