Spotlight on Capturing Kids' Hearts

The Program Spotlight is a series of informal interviews with different groups of educators at Legacy Academy. Our staff has implemented the Capturing Kids’ Hearts process of classroom management and if you attend an event at the school, you will likely hear references to our "good things" activity from this program. We appreciate the time that these educators have taken during their planning time to answer a few questions about the "good things" that are happening in their programs. Be on the lookout for more videos over the summer and fall!

This edition of Program Spotlight is shining on our Capturing Kid's Hearts Program. A few of our teachers were able to join us as they were cleaning up their classrooms at the end of the year. Thank you to Mrs Gillen, Mrs. McKennan, Mr. G., and Mrs. Moore for spending time with us for this interview.

Legacy Academy utilizes the Capturing Kids' Hearts (CKH) processes for creating a school culture that cultivates relational capacity, creating accountability, strengthens trust between staff and students, building self-managing classrooms, improving academic performance and fostering trauma-informed care. CKH creators have a passion for helping educators get positive results for students both in and out of the classroom and Legacy Academy has seen it in action.

CKH implementation looks different in each classroom. Kindergarteners from diverse backgrounds are able to feel safe quickly and middle schoolers build relationships as they build a social contract that defines how they want to be treated and how to treat others in return. These methods promote respect, ownership and compassion and foster connections with each other with the goal of having a self-managed classroom.

Through character education, Legacy's teachers support their students as they mature into responsible community members as well as challenge them academically for their professional growth. Legacy has been privileged to offer many advanced math curriculum options for the last 14 years. This program grows every year. In the upcoming 2026-27 school year, Legacy will have 33 students participating in advance math courses.

CKH creators know that while teachers can’t always control what comes into their classrooms, CKH can support educators in creating high-achieving centers of learning. This can be done by strengthening students’ connectedness to others through enhancing healthy bonds with their teachers and establishing collaborative agreements of acceptable behavior. This is based on 4 core questions:

1. How do you want to be treated by the teacher?
2. How do you want to be treated by each other?
3. How do you think the teacher wants to be treated?
4. How do you want to treat each other when a conflict occurs?

Traffic cones and Scrabble tiles for the win!

Legacy staff are excited to continue to build on the past success as they continue the CKH processes. Mrs. Moore will be transitioning to Legacy's Homeschool Enrichment Program and implementing those processes there as well.