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This year, we're highlighting what our schools are doing toward our three primary district goals: attendance, kindness, and academic achievement. Today, it's the Intermediate North Dolphins.

Crown affixing at Intermediate North

class reaction to Kindness King Intermediate North
Intermediate North secretary Kelly Nichols affixes the crown atop the head of Assistant Principal David Fanslau, a.k.a. the King of Kindness (left). Teacher Christopher Burton's class reacts to the king entering their classroom to announce that they're the monthly winners of the school's kindness initiative, and to the victors go the spoils (a pizza party).

Oct. 18, 2024: Here is how it works at Intermediate North. Students who exhibit each month's Character Trait of the Month (it's currently Respect for October), are nominated by their classroom teacher. These students earn a point, and entered into a monthly raffle for Papa John's pizza party.

But if an administrator catches a student exhibiting kindness? That's the big one. They receive a duck, worth three points, which is given to the homeroom teacher and which counts toward the class.

There is a winning class for each grade level monthly. And that means a visit from the Kindness King.

No one was quite aware of the Kindness King or his reign at the school when the winning classrooms for September were announced. So when Assistant Principal David Fanslau—donned in a cape and a custom-made crown—entered the room with a royal announcement, it was a pleasant surprise for students.

Surprising students is a key component to how Principal Lynn Fronzak and her admin team at Intermediate North reach their goals. Last year, to address attendance, the school unleashed The Beast.

"We've found that keeping students engaged, intrigued, and yeah-- a little bit surprised-- helps with buy-in," said Fronzak. "We also like to draw out that competitiveness that we all have within us, and when kids see other students and classrooms reaching incentives for attendance or kindness, they want in. 'I can do better do than that!' That's what we want."

Fronzak and Fanslau kindness king and principal

It's not quite a monarchy at Intermediate North, but the Fronzak-Fanslau reign has ushered in a new era of kindness.

And boom, before you know it, your school is not only on its way to achieving its goals, but has forged a culture of fun and excitement.

On this day, it was Christopher Burton's seventh-grade classroom and Kristen Mabie's eighth-grade class that were named winners for the month of September. But as they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown, and there's no doubt that during October, other classrooms will have their ducks in a row, and be out for some respect.

Burton classroom wins kindness for September

hallways of kindness at Intermediate North
Christopher Burton's C51 class are the September winners for kindness at Intermediate North (left), which means among other rewards they'll make the kindness wall for everyone to see (above).