In the heart of their work, Mansfield Elementary School has dedicated itself to a profoundly simple, yet revolutionary, mission: caring. It’s more than a motto; it’s a commitment woven into the very fabric of the school day, ensuring every child, every staff member, and every family knows they belong.
As Principal Amanda LaFollette explains, the foundation of learning isn’t found only in core curriculum. “We know that in order for students to do well academically, they have to feel safe and loved at school,” she affirms. This belief cultivated the "We Care School Initiative," a deliberate, intentional effort to create an environment where children can thrive emotionally so they can soar academically.
A Nurturing Start to Every Day
The true heartbeat of the "We Care" philosophy starts the moment the school bell rings with the daily Morning Meetings. For 15 minutes, every student and teacher gather, setting aside the demands of the day to check in with one another. Using a simple color-coded meter, students express how they are feeling—Red for needing support, Green for ready to learn.
It’s in these moments that true connection happens. As third-grade teacher Jenna Grooms shares, "The thing I'm most proud of is the relationships that I've been able to build with my students, and the relationships that my students have built with one another. We really are our own little family."
This focus on social-emotional learning (SEL) isn't a distraction from academics; it’s the prerequisite. Sidney Moore, one of the school counselors, articulates the initiative’s core truth: "If we can't be socially emotionally regulated, then we can't learn." Mansfield ensures children are learning how to identify, manage, and recover from big emotions, giving them the essential life skills necessary to be successful, productive adults.
Caring for the Wolverine Staff
Mansfield understands that a powerful impact of positivity must also include that the MES staff is cared for. That’s why the Wolverine Care Team is dedicated to ensuring teachers and staff feel just as valued as the students.
"If we're positive that our students are going to be positive, and it's going to grow throughout our school," says special education teacher Katie Inman, who leads the team. This team organizes everything from fun dinners out to the hilarious annual staff inflatable race—events designed to restore energy and build camaraderie. By caring for its own, Mansfield ensures that the educators who pour their hearts into the classroom every day have full cups themselves.
The Community Connection
The "We Care" mission extends far beyond the school walls through the Family and Community Engagement Teams. The goal is to partner with parents and the wider community, transforming the school into a shared center of warmth and belonging.
Events like "Bingo for Books" draw large crowds, offering meaningful connections and vital resources. "It’s just really a good way of nurturing and fostering a positive relationship between our students, the family and the community," notes teacher LaQuisha Champion.
Students are also taught that caring has no borders. Whether they are collecting cans for a local food drive or packing shoeboxes for the global Operation Christmas Child project, children are actively involved in looking outward. This work, Principal LaFollette notes, "increases our capacity to care and makes us better citizens and just better people in general."
The Ripple Effect
The most compelling evidence of the "We Care" culture is the profound shift in the school environment. On any given day, staff and students are writing Caring Cards to recognize acts of kindness. These are read aloud over the intercom, creating a daily ceremony of gratitude.
The power of this simple act was summarized perfectly by a first-grade boy who, after hearing the acknowledgements, turned to his teacher and said, "When I hear Miss LaFollette read about how other people care, it makes me want to do something caring."
This culture change isn't just anecdotal—it’s measurable. Mansfield Elementary has seen incredible, tangible results, including the highest school performance score in the school’s history last year. More telling, however, is the significant drop in behavioral issues.
"Our major referrals had dropped about 43% from last year," Principal LaFollette shares. "And we know that that is directly tied to the intentional work that we are doing as a school so that our children become more caring, productive adults."
Mansfield Elementary is proving that love is not just a soft skill—it’s the cornerstone of a successful community. The "We Care" initiative is preparing students not only for the real world but for a lifetime of kindness, empathy, and leadership.