With each building in the Waukee Community School District (WCSD), comes its’ own age-appropriate rules and policies, both enforced and explained by the administration, which create a unique and varying school environment for students.

Radiant Elementary

Administrator:

Radiant Elementary is one of the five K-5th grade buildings that feed into Northwest High School. Policies for students are kept uniform throughout all elementaries which can be found in the parent handbook. Teachers and administrators throughout Radiant intend to be proactive about expectations for students. They conduct pre-teaching and modeling for expectations in all areas of the school. Their main objective is for the rules to be clear and consistent throughout all classrooms. 

Technology has played a large role in creating learning opportunities. All students are expected to have phones remain powered off and in their backpacks, but smartwatches are allowed as long as they are not a distraction. School-provided Ipads allow for different options in learning, with one of Radiant’s goals being to get all teachers apple-certified through Apple Executive Training. Many hope that allowing students to learn technology at a young age, will allow them to be successful in high school. While technology can play a major role in learning, teachers are also encouraged to find a balance between the use of technology and “older” teaching techniques, like reading books and writing on paper. 

Discipline at the elementary level can look different for each situation because there can be a lot of grey areas. Radiant Principal Mrs. Salow said, “For the most part, we try to be proactive, but it depends on the severity of the situation.” One of the most important parts of enforcing policies at the elementary level is to keep in communication with parents. Any time a student meets with an administrator for any reason, parents are always notified to keep them informed. “When it comes to discipline, if the teachers and I have a really good relationship with the kids and they feel safe, they’re going to be more likely to tell the truth about what happened or maybe [the situation] won’t be as escalated.”

Elementary students are given many opportunities for choice and leadership within the school. There are different jobs students can apply for like greeter leader in the mornings, or DJing the Friday morning dance parties. There are also leadership teams in which the students can go through an application process, including a letter of recommendation and an interview. This group is considered the ambassadors and they help to show around different guests, created pre-planned questions for school board members, presented at a board meeting with Mrs. Salow and choose a passion project to support the Animal Rescue League. Additionally, students are a part of different interest groups, where they can choose from different activities and spend time with other students outside of their class that have similar interests.

When thinking of Radiant Elementary, many consider it to be a really positive place. Everyone works extremely hard for the kids, from the very involved parents to the positive and encouraging school staff. Mrs. Salow stated, “I don’t think there could be a better name for a school than Radiant. It speaks to our mission and our vision, first and foremost, that everyone feels like they belong and like the kids say, that they’re able to find whatever that light is and just be themselves and shine it bright.”

Student:

Radiant Elementary 5th grader, Clara Wortman, is a very involved student and enjoys coming to school and seeing her teachers and peers each day. Wortman expressed, “When I come here I feel safe, and I know my friends do too. I think it is very good and clean.” Her favorite subjects to learn from her teacher, Mrs. Patterson, are reading and science. 

Wortman acknowledges the large role administrators play within the school. “Business-wise they help make sure the school is running fine, there aren’t any problems or issues in the school. They also help students and there are all sorts of opportunities that they give students to make them more engaged with school work,” Wortman stated. There are multiple policies and expectations throughout the school to make it run smoothly. In addition to walking in a straight line, Wortman recognized, “In our class, we have a bathroom pass that we throw on our desk, and a lot of the time you have to say ‘hey can I go to the bathroom’ just so the teachers know and at recess, we aren’t allowed to throw snow, there might be ice in it.”

Clara Wortman is also a new member of the second-semester student leadership team. They are involved by helping with issues in the community, saying the morning announcements and giving other students sunshine shout-outs. Wortman added, “[They] know everyone’s names and if they see you in the halls they said ‘hi!’” There are other opportunities for students, other than the leadership team including the student yearbook team and bus helpers that assist the kindergarteners. 

Many students are excited to walk through the doors of Radiant and begin their learning journey. Students are identified by name and known by peers and adults throughout the building. Wortman reflected, “The teachers are very nice and it is a good school that I feel like you feel happy at. Teachers recognize you for who you are.” The positive environment allows the children to grow within their strengths and discover themselves as growing young students. 

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Waukee Middle School

Administrator:

Waukee Middle School is the 6th-7th grade building that feeds into Northwest. In the following years, the dynamic of the building will shift with the additional 9th-grade building being built, and 8th-graders becoming a part of WMS.

In the last year, WMS has adopted new policies that are uniform throughout 6th-9th grade. This includes the first ten, last ten rule, meaning students are not allowed to leave the classroom during the first ten minutes of each period, and the last ten minutes of each period. They are expected to use the four-minute passing periods to use the restroom, chat with friends, etc. A new bell-to-bell cell phone policy has also been established, meaning that students are not allowed to use cell phones during classes, and they are expected to remain in backpacks. Students are allowed to use cell phones during passing periods, lunchtime and before and after school. These policies had little impact on the 6th graders because they experienced similar rules throughout elementary. WMS 7th grade counselor Mrs. Vande Kamp stated, “It’s amazing how quickly the 7th graders have adapted to [the cell phone policy.] I think, honestly, they see the value in [learning and how cell phones] can really be a distraction.” Another change in policies is the dress code limitations at WMS. Restrictions on dress codes are much more relaxed, with the exception of offensive or dangerous clothing. 

At the 6th and 7th grade level, students are given the freedom to move from class to class when the bell rings, they have different choices with assignments throughout the day and they can choose between taking band or choir and German or Spanish. Unfortunately, there are no longer ambassador advisories, no sports and limited clubs/activities. There are some roadblocks to setting up clubs because there is no payment incentive for teachers to advise meetings and every student’s transportation method varies, which can create difficulties for students to be able to attend meetings outside of school hours. Mrs. Vande Kamp stated, “This is an area that I wish we could grow more as a school.” However, there are still various opportunities for students to be able to show their leadership skills within the classroom on a day-to-day basis. 

“I think the school environment is very student-focused,” Mrs. Vande Kamp stated. Whether a student needs help academically, socially or emotionally, WMS staff work hard to best benefit the students. Mrs. Vande Kamp said, “Our staff is amazing and will do anything necessary for kids, and that creates a climate where kids feel safe and they feel like people care about them.”

Student:

Waukee Middle School 7th grader, Henry Goerend, is an involved student, with a full schedule including art, P.E., study hall and the required subjects, as well as a participant in show choir. He feels that administration and counselors are a tool for students at the school. “They help you if you have any problems or if you need help with anything,” Goerend expressed.

  He has appreciated the transition from elementary school to middle school. Goerend stated, “It’s different than just following around the same teacher.” He had a positive experience concerning the transition and was excited about a new environment with different opportunities. “I was just happy to get out of elementary school, like I spent six years in that school, like the same school.”

Goerend feels that middle school has presented more of a challenge than elementary school. Goerend shared, “Most of it is just some of my teachers overreact about a lot of stuff like sometimes they are a little hard on us.” At times, there are frustrations concerning the length of passing period. Goerend explained, “Sometimes teachers overreact about not having to go to the bathroom.” The expectation is that they go to the bathroom within their four minutes to travel between classes. The inferred solution to the issue would be extending the duration of the passing period. 

On the extent of policies within the school, Goerend expressed, “I feel like they are good with phones but sometimes it goes a little overboard like I’ve seen kids get documentation and stuff just for their phones falling out of their backpack.” Students can get documentations for numerous other actions in need of being monitored. 

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Prairieview (8-9)

Administrator:

Prairieview is the 8th-9th grade building that feeds into Northwest. All 6th-9th grade buildings are using the same processes in order to maximize predictability. Because the bell-to-bell phone policy is new with the 2022-23 school year, many 8th-9th graders are not in favor. However, teachers have reported that engagement in the classroom is much higher and there have been fewer incidents of cyberbullying/harassment. The first ten, last ten rule was put in place due to data and research that backs up the first ten minutes and the last ten minutes of a class period is when students are most productive. Administrators for the 6th-9th graders hope this rule will create value in getting to class on time and having a good start. Teachers are encouraged to have an entrance task to let students know what they will be learning and an end-of-class routine to give a summary of what they learned, and what they should look forward to for the next day. Students can choose free seating at lunch but must wait to be released to get into the lunch line. 

For consistency, to enforce these policies a process called documented behaviors is used at the 6th-9th grade level. Any unexpected behavior in the classroom – whether it is blurting out during instruction, not following directions, not prepared for class, misuse of technology, missing work, etc. – teachers fill out a Google Form to document the behavior. These documentations are then recorded, but there is no action required until a student hits three documentations. After two documentations, the student must serve a lunch detention which is assigned by the issuing teacher. Once a student reaches six documentations, consequences are assigned by office staff, varying depending on the severity of the situation. The student is then required to have a reteaching session at four documentations, and they serve a detention at six documentations. Each time a student receives a documented behavior, they are supposed to be made aware by the teacher, and a parent is notified through a quick email or phone call. Documented behaviors are not necessarily meant to be a punishment, but more of a way to track students’ behaviors and track patterns, so a plan can be created if necessary. 

Some freedoms Prairieview students have is moving around and getting breakfast before school, choosing their elective courses, choice in what they do during their four-minute passing period, can listen to music on their district device with teacher permission and many 9th grade students drive to school. There are opportunities for leadership through ambassadors, where there are different interest groups that help with responsibilities like showing around new students, helping at parent-teacher conferences, participating on interview teams for new teachers, etc. There are also a variety of clubs like American Sign Language, GSA, Technology Club, Tabletop Game Club, etc. Clubs are continually created to help fit students’ interests. Prairieview Principal Mr. Stallman stated, “I continually want to think about how certain groups of students, maybe don’t have a sense of belonging and how we can continually improve and how we can create the sense of belonging for different groups of students.” 

One of Prairieview’s main goals is for each student to feel a sense of belonging, not only with their own group of friends, but also to feel a sense of belonging at Prairieview in general. “I would say that we have a very supportive environment, but we do have pockets of things like any school that there are challenges with too,” Mr. Stallman stated. “We have so many great students and parents and it’s fun to see the passion and excitement kids have. That’s what makes being in education so much fun, is just seeing the potential in people and especially this age level, there’s just so many directions they could go in.” 

Student:

Prairieview 9th grader, Saili Reising, joined the Waukee District this 2022-23 school year and had many things to say concerning her day-to-day life at school. She likes to hang out with friends at lunch and is involved in extracurriculars. Reising described, “Free seating allows people to sit wherever they want [at lunch] and it is good because we can interact with our friends.” She has a full eight-period schedule with multiple different teachers. “I like some of my teachers, and then some of them I don’t like just because of their teaching style, but I think that as people they are great,” stated Reising. 

Although Reising has not had many interactions with administrators, she recognized how hard they work for the school as a whole. Some policies include expectations surrounding appropriate phone usage. Reising said, “No phones [are allowed] in class, but you can have them in passing periods and lunch. I think this is a valid rule because it helps improve classroom focus.” Appropriate bathroom usage is also expected through the first ten, last ten policy, requiring students to stay in the room during those beginning and ending times of the class period. Reising expressed, “They can not limit when we can go to the bathroom because it is a normal bodily function that should not be restricted. Also during early [out] days you have such little time to go to the bathroom and often l do not have enough time to go during passing periods.” Another bathroom-related concern is related to students having access to period products, which the school does not supply. Reising said, “You never know who is having trouble to afford that kind of thing.”

Another place of development she recognized surrounds opportunities for students’ class schedules. Reising explained, “One way the school could be improved is giving more opportunities for 9th graders to get ahead in school because I have had trouble getting advanced in English because we are in a separate school, so I did not get the opportunity to be in Honors 2 because I did Honors 1 last year. I feel like they only give you opportunities to be advanced in math.” However, Prairieview does not lack opportunities in extracurricular activities, some clubs include art, gaming and chess. There are also leadership opportunities like the Mercer Leadership Academy and different interest groups within Ambassadors. 

Often, a big factor of school is interaction with peers and classmates, and Reising is not an exception. Reising stated, “There are people I’m not fond of and then there is those special people that make school a little bit better.”

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Northwest High School

Administrator:

Northwest High School is the recently established building for students grades 10th-12th. 

As far as school policies go, many start to vary moving from Prairieview to Northwest. Phone policies are constantly adapting and changing. New posters can be found around NWHS to remind students when is, and when is not, appropriate times to be on cell phones. There is no strict enforced policy, rather, administrators feel it is best for students to respect teachers’ wishes and make decisions on what will be best for each student’s own learning. Open lunch is not allowed, meaning students are not allowed to order food to the school or leave to get lunch and bring it back in. There are no first ten, last ten rules, and students are given six minutes in between blocks. Similarly to WMS and Prairieview, there are limited rules with dress codes to allow students to express themselves. Associate Principal Mrs. Tierney stated, “We realize that you’re kids, by the definition, but we also realize you need some of that opportunity to flourish and grow and become more independent year by year.”

In order to enforce these policies, there is consistent communication between administrators and campus safety and security. These members have weekly meetings in order to address potential issues/challenges and to keep everyone on the same page. When enforcing these policies with students, there are specific guidelines set for consequences, based on the severity of the situation, often beginning with a conversation when policies are broken. Administrators hope to be as clear and consistent as possible when it comes to enforcing policies. 

NWHS has 20+ different clubs where students are able to seek out opportunities, grow their leadership skills and find a place where they feel comfortable and that they belong. New clubs are constantly being created, as long as there is student interest and a teacher that is willing to sponsor meetings. Various sports at the high school level allow students to meet new people and grow their leadership. Additionally, student council allows students to grow their leadership skills and voice the opinions of the student body. The administration also utilizes information from surveys offered to students to consider new ideas and get feedback. 

Mrs. Tierney said, “There are challenges that arise that are frustrating, but I would say the larger representation of our school makes me incredibly proud. We do really great things, we’re inviting, we’re inclusive and supportive of all students, but I think there is certainly room for improvement. ” Because students at Northwest are nearing the end of their time in the WCSD there is a sense of urgency in teachers and students to complete credits, get the proper support and learn the necessary skills for postsecondary success. Mrs. Tierney stated, “I think there’s so much proof that our system works at a really high level, because of how much success that our students have.”

Student:

Northwest Sophomore, Vye Nayaka, is a very involved and intelligent student, taking multiple challenging classes and participating in multiple sports and student groups. Her favorite part of school is interacting with other students. Nayaka stated, “Just meeting new people and knowing that it’s a safe environment is pretty fun.” She feels that administrators are supportive within the school. “I think Mr. Ross is really helpful, especially with the [Superintendent] Advisory Board. I think he helps out a lot with bringing forward some problems and issues that we can build together as a school and almost in a broader sense of community,” Nayaka stated. 

A big passion and focus of hers is ensuring that students feel comfortable within the school walls and feel a sense of belonging. Nayaka explained, “We try getting the hall monitors and everything so that administration can be seen throughout the school so it can be shown as a safe environment.” She also wants students to feel like they belong within their friend groups and amongst their peers. Nayaka added, “So it’s just not like this person goes to school with me, you can actually say, I know this person real well.”

Nayaka has been in the district since kindergarten and discussed the transitioning throughout buildings. Nayaka recognized, “I think from kindergarten, from fifth to sixth especially, that elementary to middle school jump, you don’t feel it as much.” As you grow older within the different buildings and the changes that come with it, the difficulty increases. Nayaka stated, “Middle school is very chill compared to probably secondary and then high school.” She also highlighted the additional responsibilities that come in with each transition, both beneficial and consequential. 

Nayaka also identified, “There’s a bunch of policies in the school that seem a little bit odd in some aspects.” She disagreed with some of the cell phone restrictions. Nayaka claimed, “We’re a generation that is thriving and uses technology a lot more. So obviously there’s going to be more of a pitiful connection to [use] your devices and everything.” She also doesn’t understand the purpose of signing out. Nayaka questioned, “If we’re in a safe environment, you should be trusting the students to be safe and making smart choices.”

Nayaka added, “I think it would probably help a lot of students if we could just maybe broaden the aspect of a classroom beyond the classroom walls.” She mentioned the many different study spaces provided within the Northwest, including hall couches, rooms, the library and the terrace outside. The campus-like atmosphere could provide a much more free space for studying and managing students’ time within classes. Nayaka also explained, “[The Superintendent advisory is] trying to change the school so that it’s more towards the students, but without our student’s opinions we can’t really see that, so reaching out to anyone you know on the board or just talking about issues within the school.”