Four Houses One Family

Why the House System?

Implementing the RCA House System with your class, grade, school, or district will provide benefits that will deeply impact students and teachers alike.

House System in a Nutshell

Sorting: All staff members are sorted into houses by personality strengths. All students are sorted into houses at random.
Commited: All staff members and students alike will remain in the house they are sorted in through graduation or end of commitment as an employee.
Culture: Each house is composed of staff and students from all different walks of life, age groups, and interests. This fosters an opportunity to have a sense of belonging in school, even in diverse groups.
Modeling: Throughout the year, houses will bond with each other while competing against other houses for house points based on effort, integrity, and character.
Reward: At the end of the year, the house that has earned the most points wins the house championship and all of its glory!

Results and End Goal of the House System

Culture of Belonging

From the first day of school, to student elections, to that big game that's on the line, to state testing-- everyone needs someone they can relate to; someone who's in their corner when they feel out of place or alone. The house system provides one more way that students and teachers can be there for each other and find a sense of belonging within the district.

Character Building

The House System builds character with a reward system that goes beyond something like earning a piece of candy from a candy jar for doing something good. Instead, each student's achievements add to a collective group, making the rewards communal and social. We have seen this change the way that a student perceives points over time: what may start as extrinsic motivation in the beginning turns into intrinsic motivation as the student realizes the behavioral and academic traits and ethics that are valued by their peers.

School-Wide Community

The house system gives a unique approach to cross-age engagement that will help build the lives of students both socially and academically. In a typical school setting, there aren't many opportunities to interact with different grade levels and buildings outside athletics. With our district being housed essentially on one campus, this approach makes sense to bridge the gap amongst all ages involved. Middle school and high school students, staff, administration, and even parents are all encouraged to share in the bond that is created within each house that they belong to.

Healthy Competition

The house system must promote a sense of healthy competition--this encourages the students to learn how to be team players and contribute their efforts to the group. It is also important to note that while support, spirit, and pride for each one's own house is a priority, students should also celebrate the wins for other houses as well. This guideline should be to never put another house down or talk negatively about other houses. When one house wins, we all win collectively as a district. We all should be pressing toward the mark.

Encourage Staff Involvement

The staff of the class, school, or district has to be excited about this new adventure with the House and Point Systems. Getting everyone on board may be tough; some may not be thrilled about implementing the program. And actually, that's okay, as long as you have a core group of adults who believe in the system and who will "bleed the colors" of the House that they join. Try to make sure that you try to distribute leadership and enthusiasm in a balanced way across all of the Houses! To encourage staff involvement, look for different talents that staff members can bring to a House and encourage distribution based on what a House might need. So take an honest assessment of who is on board, what their skills and unique talents are, and consider how to use those to connect the staff to the House on an even more meaningful level.

To the staff members who may not want to be fully on board, meet them where they are. Ask that if they don't want to go "all in", that they at minimum do not discourage students or other staff members in a way that may negatively impact the excitement of the House System for others.

Embed the Houses into the Environment

Creating excitement starts in the environment itself. Try to start embedding the school with House DNA. Do this by encouraging house representation in the classrooms, awarding house points in classes, hallways, lunchrooms, EVERYWHERE! You can promote house spirit by providing branding and merchandise for students and staff to wear, decorate with, or celebrate with!

Promote the house culture by embedding the house system in athletic and school events, also! From games to pep assemblies, to awards ceremonies, and so on. The HYPE comes into play during these types of events, and makes students proud to be part of their houses.

The house system is built to create a sense of belonging, so be sure to provide opportunities to bond with their housemates across all grade levels. This bonding is important to build a culture of family and closeness within each house. It's also a great time for the older students to mentor their younger housemates, which will, in turn, create "fan clubs" out of the younger housemates for their older mentors--further enforcing the bond that the house system was made for.

The Point System

The House System is supported by the point system -- both work together to create a fun and healthy competitive spirit amongst the houses. Points are collected throughout the year by each student, counting toward their house's score, to help determine the champions at the end of the year.

First, and maybe most importantly, points must be earned, not given. A child should not receive a point for doing just anything. This helps establish expectations that points are valuable and shouldn't be expected every day for regular or expected tasks. Instead, points should be seen as something for when a child goes above and beyond. Examples of this include stopping to help an underclassman or asking a staff member how they can help with something, even if they haven't been asked to help. Points should be given when students demonstrate character.

Second, we encourage not to fall into "point inflation." Receiving one point alone for something should be seen as a standard reward for a great action. To receive two points for something would be above and beyond. This keeps each point feeling very valuable.

Third, students can never ask for points in exchange for doing something they are told.

Fourth and finally, points must never be taken away. They belong to the student once they are earned.
This is incredibly important!

Westville Public Schools