Rock Island Elementary teacher Gladys Farias greets students at her classroom door, helping build relationships and a sense of belonging.
Each morning at Rock Island Elementary School, fifth-grade teacher Gladys Farias stands at her classroom door and greets her students. For Farias, the routine is about much more than saying good morning.
"It's a privilege to greet each student by name at my classroom door," said Farias. "In those few seconds, I'm not just saying hello—I'm saying 'you matter, you belong here, and I see you.' That simple moment of connection reminds me why I teach and can transform a child's entire day."
Across Eastmont School District, similar moments have played out every day this school year as teachers focused on creating welcoming, engaging, and supportive learning environments for students.
Student survey results suggest those efforts are making a difference. The percentage of students who reported feeling welcome and accepted at school increased from 79.3% during the 2024-25 school year to 92.0% in 2025-26. The percentage of students reporting they have a known trusted adult at school increased from 74.9% to 87.0%.
Throughout the school year, teachers across Eastmont focused on The Eastmont Way, a districtwide framework centered on four research-based practices: greeting students by name, beginning lessons with an entry task, making learning targets visible, and using exit tickets to check understanding. These strategies are designed to strengthen student relationships, engagement, and learning.
Whether students are entering a kindergarten classroom or preparing for graduation at Eastmont High School, the routines help create consistent experiences centered on belonging, clarity, and connection.
Teachers greet students by name as they enter class, helping build relationships and a sense of belonging. Entry tasks engage students in learning from the first minutes of class, while visible learning targets help students understand what they are learning and why it matters. Exit tickets provide students an opportunity to reflect on their learning while giving teachers feedback that helps guide instruction. While each practice serves a different purpose, together they help create classrooms where students feel welcomed, engaged, supported, and successful.
As this school year comes to a close, the survey results suggest those daily moments are adding up. More students report feeling welcome, accepted, and connected to trusted adults at school than they did a year ago.
For Eastmont educators, those gains represent more than percentages on a survey: they reflect thousands of interactions, conversations, lessons, and relationships built one student at a time throughout the school year.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for Eastmont News to receive weekly articles and updates from across the district. All Eastmont News linked HERE.