POWER and ROAR at Willow Creek

POWER is Willow Creek’s acronym for the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports program. POWER stands for Persistence, Optimism, we are Flexible, Empathy, Resilience. This acronym was created in 2016 by a team of our teachers to reflect a growth mindset and to be a practical and valuable application for lifelong learning and success beyond the classroom.

We believe that the best way to implement a philosophy is to embed it deeply into the classroom culture. Willie the Wildcat is a fun visual of our growth mindset. Willie is a superhero with a cape in which the POWER words are written. This is a familiar sight around the building as we have posters in classrooms, hallways and on bulletin boards. Teachers weave the concepts of growth mindset into the daily practices of the classroom.

As we returned to school in person after the pandemic isolation, we felt that students needed support with "doing school" again. Teachers expanded our PBIS vocabulary with the ROAR program. This is a school-created acronym that addresses how we all behave towards ourselves and each other. You will find many ROAR posters around school, and those concepts are reviewed and reinforced in the classroom daily.

With the addition of Social Emotional Learning program provided by our district, our goal is to support students and staff academically as well as emotionally. We teach a growth mindset and practice appropriate school behaviors to ensure a safe, healthy environment where learning can take place.