This week’s Carbon School District weekly update shines a light on the Castle Valley Center. Principal Amy Bell stopped by Castle Country Radio to share some information about the school.

The school recently celebrated International Be Happy Day with several activities geared around helping students strengthen their social skills. “Last week was International Be Happy Day which is on Mar. 20, it’s also part of our Vision Statement. We just got together, the kids were able to write gratitude letters, and identify things that made them happy. We made a video with everybody, the kids got to either have a picture of them or telling us something that makes them happy,” stated Principal Bell. There was even an activity called Wubble Bubbles that gave the students a fun and physical activity to enjoy.

The school prides itself on helping their students succeed in all aspects of life and the schools’ Vision Statement helps direct administration and teachers. “This is what’s guides our instruction, it guides our activities, it helps us say what’s our purpose at Castle Valley. So at Castle Valley we help our students to learn functional life skills, have positive and meaningful interactions, increase independence, access the community and be happy,” explained Principal Bell. It’s also important that students are in a good and positive mind set.

One of the things administration, faculty and staff are working on with students is their mindset – what they can do, and what the school can do to help them achieve those goals. “It’s been something we’ve been working on the last few years really as a staff, really trying to focus on what can we do to get out of our student’s way. You know, a lot of times we’re not finding out what they can do because we’re not giving them the opportunity, where we’re just automatically doing for them – can they tie their shoe or are we just automatically getting down and tying their shoe for them; can they go out in the community or are we just making an assumption that they can’t handle it. It’s shifting away from that can’t mindset to what can they do,” stated Principal Bell. It’s the “how” can students do it, rather than they “can’t” do it mentality that the school is trying to achieve with their students.

To learn more about Castle Valley Center visit their page on the Carbon School District website at https://www.carbonschools.org/