House

The New Albany Plain Local School District is implementing the House system for grades K-12. The House system will look different at each level based on the developmental needs of the students served at each level.

The House System is a deliberate approach aimed at fostering a strong sense of belonging and promoting a positive school culture by creating smaller communities within our school. These communities focus on team-building, kindness, dignity, respect, friendly competitions, expanded leadership opportunities, and community service. A key emphasis of the House System is on academic achievement and good citizenship. Students quickly understand that their success in these areas contributes to their House's goal of being crowned the House Champion of the Year.

Students are sorted into houses during their 7th grade year. For the 2024-25 school year all grade levels 7-12 will be sorted. Each middle school house will consist of about 96 students.

1. Once sorted students will remain in the same house until they graduate from high school. There is no house switching.
2. Every member of our learning community will belong to a house including all students, and staff.  This will allow students to socialize with one another across grades and with positive adult role models beyond the classroom setting.
3. Throughout the year, the Houses compete against one another in a variety of competitions to accumulate House points. Individual students can also accumulate points for their House based on academic success, positive RISE behaviors, attendance and school engagement.
4. At the end of the year, the House with the most points wins the House Championship-and all of the honor and glory that comes with it!

Sorting Into Houses

Joining a house is a significant event. On sorting day, students will assemble in the middle school gymnasium. In the center of the gymnasium will be a “nest” full of golden eggs. Each student will select an egg and open it to reveal their house assignment. After their selection each student will sign in with their house leaders and other house members where they will be greeted with cheers and excitement. Each student will be given a house shirt and a house wristband as a “house warming gift”. 

It’s important for the House System to promote a sense of healthy competition-this encourages students to learn how to be team players, contribute their efforts toward a group, and learn that those who work hard and stick with it are often the ones rewarded. That being said, it’s important for our staff to model healthy competition and reinforce the characteristics of healthy competition for our students.

Characteristics of Healthy Competition

1. Cheer for Everyone. Never boo or put down other houses.
2. Inter-House Cooperation: Share ideas and opportunities with other Houses. This is especially important as we lay the foundation for the House system in our schools.
3. Accept losses graciously and have fun. Understand that going through and learning from the process is often more important than the outcome.

The following is the list of our eight houses:

1. Willow

2. Aspen

3. Cedar

4. Mulberry

5. Spruce

6. Cypress

7. Poplar

8. Tupelo

Our high school student leaders research work in Swickard Woods inspired the names for our eight houses. House Deans wanted to make a connection to the New Albany community and our students gave the idea to name our eight houses after the eight trees found in Swickard Woods.

Each house is comprised of both 7th and 8th grade students. Each house has a “House Dean” who is a teacher that coordinates with other house deans, house teaching staff, and the school administration to organize and support house activities. Each house also has a student leadership structure. House leaders are always 8th grade students. The student leadership structure includes:

Student House Leader: This student is the leader of the house and serves on the Student House Leader Council. They are the representatives and voice of the House. These leaders collaborate with House Deans and other leadership team members to plan house events and activities.

House Leadership Team Member: These students support the Student House Leader and work together to provide leadership to the entire house. They will lead activities and take on various leadership roles as our goal is to have a distributed leadership framework within the house.

Once students are sorted into their houses, houses will begin to compete for the house championship, which will be given to the house that earns the most house points by the end of the school year.  Individual students will be able to earn house points for their house by meeting and exceeding our school’s RISE expectations. These house points will be tracked using a program called PBIS Rewards. There are four rise categories that students can earn points, they include:

1. Responding above the line

2. Intentionality

3. Safety

4. Embracing kindness, dignity, and respect

Two important things to remember about House Points:

1. Students are never allowed to ask for house points.  

2. While students earn house points individually, the points always belong to their house.

Students will be able to track their House Points using the PBIS Rewards student app. This app can be found on your school iPad by visiting ClassLink.  Students can also download the app to their personal cell phones.

As we gear up for the launch of houses, we have already started to implement the point system. Some of you have already been awarded points for exceeding our RISE expectations. Any points accumulated between now and the launch of our House system will be credited to the house that you select in December.

Students will remain in their houses until they graduate from high school.