EGA House System

House System @ Esperanza Global Academy

We use The Ron Clark Academy House System as a pillar of our school culture.  Our lower house, House Jaguar, will serve as an introduction to the house system for all Pre-K - 1st grade students.  Our four upper houses serve as learning and leadership communities for students in grades 2nd-4th. Upper house students, all teachers, and all staff all belong to a house (Rêveur, Amistad, Isibindi, or Altruismo) which promotes positive relationships between faculty and students.  Being a member of one of the five houses instills a sense of pride for students and boosts character education.  

Students and staff working together to gain points means each upper house member must recognize and encourage one anothers talents and abilities. Once a student is placed (or sorted) into a house, they become a part of a little family that will cheer them on and rely on their participation to reach specific goals.

One School-5 Houses

While we belong to specific houses, we must remember that one goal of the house system is to build a stronger overall school community. Each of our houses represents one aspect of the Jaguar.   When all of the houses work together, our school exemplifies the true spirit of the Jaguar.   The school as a whole should be made greater by the strength of each house.

The Spirit of the Jaguar

At Esperanza Global Academy our mascot is the jaguar, a majestic large cat that lives in the jungles of Central and South America.  The jaguar symbolizes confidence, power, courage, and patience.

• As a symbol of confidence, the jaguar reminds you to hold your head high. The spirit of the jaguar is to aspire for mastery in all that you pursue to fulfill your purpose.

• As a symbol of power, the jaguar is a reminder that we are capable of achieving much more than we might think we can.  

• As a symbol of courage, the jaguar challenges you to face fears and confront both enemies and barriers head-on.  The ancient Aztecs regarded the jaguar as the bravest of beasts, and the proud ‘ruler of the animal world’.

• As a symbol of patience, the jaguar knows there is a time to move, and a time to wait and breathe. Breathing centers you while waiting conserves your energy. Jaguars know when to pounce.

How will houses be organized? Each House has unique properties, such as its own color, symbols, nation of heritage, history, and more.

House Day of the Week:  Each house will have a focus day of the week to spread their core value across the campus. (Students from each house will do the morning news!)

• Monday-Reveur 

• Tuesday-Amistad

• Wednesday-Who U Wit’ and Jaguar Day

• Thursday-Isibindi

• Friday-Altruismo

House Points

The Upper House System is supported by the point system — both work together to create a fun and healthy competitive spirit amongst the upper houses. Points are collected throughout the year by each student, counting toward their overall upper house’s score, to help determine the champions at the end of the year.

Points are given by adults who see students exhibiting behaviors that support the school character framework.  Points are displayed in our main hallway. Students love seeing which House is ahead and work hard to catch up if they are not in the lead. At the end of each quarter, the House with the most points is named House Champions and rewarded with a House Celebration.   Remember, points must be earned, not given.  We do not deduct points for any reason!  We are here to celebrate the good things that our students do, not punish them for making mistakes.

Note:  Individual staff cannot give more than 10 points to a single student per day.

Note:  These points are awarded by the school counselor.

Tracking House Points:  We will use the Ron Clark Academy app to gather and track House points.

Weekly House Meetings

We will have upper house meetings every Wednesday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.  The master schedule will flip on Thursdays to accommodate upper house meetings.  Morning Meetings will not happen on Fridays because Fridays are club days!

We will play a portion of the Game of Thrones theme song at 2:55 on Thursdays to announce House Meetings and begin transitions.  Each house will assemble in their House Room.

House Meeting Agenda:

• House Leader discussion

• Celebrate points

• Discuss any upcoming Spirit events and activities

• Student led practice on House Chant

• Choose the House Wheel Spinner

Transition to the Great Hall

• Administration announcements

• Individual House Chants

• Spin the Wheel

• Dismissal

Wheel Spin: At Esperanza Global Academy, we spin for extra points on Thursdays. One child is chosen to spin from each house, and these special students spin the big wheel while all of the House members cheer them on.   Our wheel is sacred, so no one should touch it!  It can only be touched on sorting days or during Upper House meetings.