TAMPA, Fla. — Fourth graders at West Tampa Elementary School start their day with a morning meeting of community building.


What You Need To Know

  • Non-profit Frameworks shows how to build social learning

  • Students also learn how to express emotions

  • Students kick off the day complimenting each other

  • It’s believed that this type of growth will help with academic learning

"It’s our favorite time of the day," announces teacher Mayablue Stauffer-MacDowell.

Students quickly move across the classroom to sit together in a circle on the carpet.

"We provided a platform or a structure to make sure that every day these kids are greeting each other, giving each other real compliments, a time to connect, get to know each other and start their day on a great foot," said Shannon Veronesi, chief program officer with Frameworks.

Stauffer-MacDowell is trained by the non-profit organization Frameworks on how to help build social and emotional learning in her students.

"I just think it’s a just really powerful thing that we do every day with other," said Stauffer-MacDowell.

Every day begins with a breathing exercise.

"You breathe in all the love in the classroom and then when you breathe out, you give all the love out and your own love," said 8-year-old Israel Viera-Ortiz who led the latest meeting.

The children then greet each other.

"You can do a fist pump, a wave, high-five and a side hug," explained Viera-Ortiz.

They kick off the day complimenting each other. One child praised students for high scores on recent tests, another was grateful for a classmate who lifted their spirits, another said “thank you” to a student for helping after a fall on the playground. The students celebrate each other in a beautiful way.

Principal Kevin Kastner joined the latest meeting and complimented the students too.

"A lot of times people are like, ‘I like your shoes,’ ‘I like your hair,’ ‘I like your eyes’ but you guys really talk about very specific things and I can tell you guys really care about each other," said Kastner. "And that’s why tests scores are the way they are because we work together, we learn together and we grow together.”

The principal and teacher see growth from power in positivity.

"I want to spread love all over the world and make harmony and peace in the world," said little Viera-Ortiz.

"It’s so important. This is where it starts, academics start right here. I think we need that sense of community, that sense of belonging, friendship, spreading the love, right, changing the world and that’s where it starts and academics just come after that," said Stauffer-MacDowell.

The idea, once a connection is made, students are empowered to thrive when it comes to learning.

Veronesi stresses the importance of a child's emotional intelligence, sometimes referred to as EQ.

"You have to start with knowing who you are, how to manage emotions, what to do with those big emotions, what’s around you, being socially aware, how to make those really responsible decisions and create long-lasting healthy relationships," said Veronesi.

"It’s so important. This is where it starts, academics start right here. I think we need that sense of community, that sense of belonging, friendship, spreading the love, right, changing the world and that’s where it starts and academics just come after that," said Stauffer-MacDowell.

The students say they're creating a connection.

“I love when we do the side hug, I just feel that every time we do the side hug, it’s like just spreading love," said Viera-Ortiz.

The students say they enjoy spreading kindness and compliments.

"Happy and excited because I know they’re my friends and they’ll always have my back and I’ll always have their backs," said 9-year-old Brianna Labour.

Students show agreement with the wave of a hand when a kind word is spoken.

"It starts with love and they’re just doing so great in academics, too. I mean their test scores are skyrocketing and this is where it starts," said Stauffer-MacDowell.

"Ms. Stauffer-MacDowell has absolutely created an environment where these kids can be who they are in a safe place in a world that’s up in chaos right," said Veronesi. "So when they come here, they look forward to getting on that carpet, you know she’s doing it right."

“Once students connect and they're invested, now they can learn, now they can become that successful person that we want them to be," said Veronesi.

"It just leads to so many greater things," said Stauffer-MacDowell.

"We could all use a little bit more kindness wherever we go," said Veronesi.

Frameworks counts on support from the community.

One way to contribute is by attending the Oyster Festival on Dec. 12. The event benefits the organization.