Ten San Angelo ISD Campuses Honored as Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase Schools, One Honored as a Rising Star

San Angelo ISD announces with celebration the selection of ten SAISD campuses as Capturing Kids’ Hearts (CKH) National Showcase Schools for the 2023-2024 school year. Alta Loma Elementary, Austin Elementary, Bonham Elementary, Bradford Elementary, Fannin Elementary, Goliad Elementary, Holiman Elementary, San Jacinto Elementary, Lincoln Middle School, and Lone Star Middle School were chosen for the national honor. This is the first year Bonham Elementary, San Jacinto Elementary, and Lone Star Middle School have received this recognition. Additionally, McGill Elementary was recognized as a Rising Star campus for demonstrating exemplary progress and fidelity of implementation in their first year of the CKH journey.

The CKH National Showcase School award recognizes campuses that go above and beyond in building a safe and welcoming environment where students are relationally connected and eager to learn. CKH National Showcase Schools are selected annually by the Flippen Group through a process that includes measuring key performance indicators, gathering campus data and surveying staff and students. 

SAISD commends the committed leadership of the eleven campuses selected for the honor including Principals Lauri Herndon (Alta Loma Elementary), April Johnson (Austin Elementary), Ginger Luther (Bonham Elementary), Berta Sepulveda (Bradford Elementary), Dana Felts (Fannin Elementary), Becca Flores (Goliad Elementary), Stacy Fischer (Holiman Elementary), Colton Curtis (McGill Elementary), Michele Beers (San Jacinto Elementary), Joe Gandar (Lincoln Middle School), and Dr. Amy Lemaster (Lone Star Middle School). 

“Capturing Kids' Hearts is part of our culture at Lone Star Middle School. Most of our teachers have been through CKH 1 and CKH 2 training. They learned not only how to engage and connect with students, but focus on their personal strengths and constraints to ensure they are strong and successful educators every day,” said Lone Star Middle School Principal Dr. Amy Lemaster. “My vision was for Lone Star to earn the National Showcase School Award - not for the accolades, but because it shows that our teachers and students have increased academic achievement, decreased discipline referrals, improved attendance, and created a positive change in our school culture. I invite you to walk the halls with our Texans and feel the positive difference Capturing Kids Hearts has made on our campus!”  

San Angelo ISD is committed to building safe and welcoming environments, relationship-driven campus cultures, student connectedness, and processes focused on social-emotional wellbeing at our campuses. These eleven CKH National Showcase schools excel in these areas, and students and staff authentically connect resulting in the improved wellbeing of the whole child. 

“This is an absolute honor to us because the foundation of everything we do revolves around the success of relationships with our staff, students, and families,” said Bonham Elementary Principal Ginger Luther. “We want each child and adult to feel safe and welcome at our school!  The power behind caring relationships pushes students to the next level and can be the difference in success or failure.” 

Through experiential training, expert coaching, an social-emotional learning curriculum for students, and personalized support, Capturing Kids' Hearts® equips professionals in K-12 education to implement transformational processes focused on social-emotional wellbeing, relationship-driven campus culture, and student connectedness.

Capturing Kids’ Hearts campuses across the country were considered by the Flippen Group for the National Showcase School award based on criteria including survey and performance data from students, staff, teachers and administrators, data demonstrating that Capturing Kids’ Hearts has made a significant improvement in attendance, discipline, climate/culture, or academics as well as positive campus culture and climate.

For over three decades, Capturing Kids’ Hearts has brought tools to thousands of campuses nationwide that equip teachers, coaches, administrators, and district leaders to implement transformational processes focused on cultivating student-connectedness, improving school culture, and fostering social-emotional learning. These processes are designed to directly impact every aspect of a school community. 

To stay up-to-date on San Angelo ISD, please visit the SAISD website at www.saisd.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Capturing Kids’ Hearts and the Flippen Group

In 1990 a small group of educators experienced the first Capturing Kids' Hearts® training at the Flippen’s home in College Station, Texas. The vision has since grown and today the team introduces Capturing Kids' Hearts® processes to 37,000+ educators each year nationwide.

Capturing Kids’ Hearts is a premier source of professional development for educators nationwide. Through experiential training, expert coaching, and personalized support, Capturing Kids' Hearts equips professionals in K-12 education to implement transformational processes focused on social-emotional wellbeing, relationship-driven culture, and student connectedness.

Capturing Kids’ Hearts processes provide educators the skills they need to change the trajectory of students’ lives.

Campuses implementing Capturing Kids’ Hearts processes consistently report improvements in academic, behavioral, and cultural outcomes.