Romona Elementary School - Wilmette, IL

Our school culture is grounded in our motto, Romona R.O.C.K.S, and every assembly starts with this song:

R is for respect, the golden rule.
O-riginality, always be yourself.
C is for courage, try to be brave.
Kindness to everyone, care for each other.
Last but not least is sincerity,
Romona School is where we want to be.

This illustrates who we are at Romona and reminds our children how to create a positive environment for learning and growing. Teachers and administrators work together to help students create a growth mindset where they embrace mistakes and have courage when faced with challenges. Students around school use phrases like "mistakes make your brain grow."

Fostering autonomy lets our teachers creatively motivate and engage students. Twenty-first century learning incorporating the four Cs (creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration) is a foundation of instruction. Teachers integrate content areas and embed technology into instruction, and hands-on and project-based learning are priorities.

We encourage leadership among students and offer opportunities to show school pride. We have a Student Advisory Council and Green Team, and our students do daily announcements and help in the lunchroom. At evening events, students welcome parents wearing blue Romona R.O.C.K.S. vests. We want everyone to feel as described in our song: "Romona School is where we want to be."