Carolina Springs Middle has earned a national honor for building strong connections between its students and adults.

The Flippen Group selected CSMS as a 2018–2019 Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School. Principal Brice Cockfield, ED.D., along with Assistant Principals Ryan W. Carpenter, Leah R. Sarantopoulos and Keith Tolleson, and Teachers Jim S. Cooke, William H. Knopf and Angie Smith, led implementation of the program.

Capturing Kids’ Hearts challenges schools to transform their campus into an emotionally safe and relational place for students, staff and parents to come together with a love for learning. As a result of implementing Capturing Kids’ Hearts, the school reports a decrease in office referrals and a significant increase in student achievement.

Through the National Showcase Schools awards, the Flippen Group “seeks to recognize and celebrate schools that go the extra mile each day, building an environment where students and staff feel safe and connected.”

The National Showcase Schools program bases awards on observation, level of implementation of Capturing Kids’ Hearts processes by all staff as measured by online surveys, and data demonstrating that Capturing Kids’ Hearts made a significant improvement in attendance, discipline, climate/culture or academics.