Whenever school resumes after long breaks, teachers face the challenge of helping scholars get back into their learning routines and adjust to the school’s culture and rules. The sooner scholars adjust, the more time they have to focus on learning. At Classical Charter Schools, we make this adjustment fun through our Scholar Olympics, where classes compete for prizes by completing challenges that assess the resiliency of their classroom culture.
Planning for Success
Before the competition starts, our deans meet both as a network team and in their individual school teams to set goals for each Olympic Games. They review data to identify where most behavioral challenges occur and then create specific challenges to address those areas. This year, the focus was on helping scholars during non-instructional times, such as transitions and lunch, and supporting respectful classroom discussions. The goal is simple: the sooner students learn to respect their space and the opinions of their classmates, the faster they can grow.
Prioritizing Ownership
From our youngest grades to our oldest, our school emphasizes that every scholar can achieve amazing things. We don’t leave all the responsibility for routines to teachers; instead, scholars share in this responsibility. For example, they might act as line leaders during transitions. When school leaders award Scholar Olympic Torch Points for these routines, they judge how well the class has learned them. The less the teacher has to say, the better—because we believe scholars learn most from their classmates.
Emphasizing Community
An added benefit of the Scholar Olympics is that it connects classrooms across the school. Even though each class works on different subjects at different levels, our first graders can look at our eighth graders—and vice versa—and see that taking care of their environment is a shared responsibility. They can also observe that the habits we teach, like agreeing and disagreeing respectfully and asking questions when confused, will help them learn and grow for the rest of their lives.
Celebrating Growth
At the end of the week, Scholar Olympics points are counted for each classroom and grade and displayed outside the classrooms. Staff and families also receive a running total of the points and the current standings. Prizes are then awarded to the classes with the highest point totals, so scholars can see not only the good they do in school but also how proud the adults around them are.
Creating a Strong Culture
The Scholar Olympics at Classical Charter Schools goes beyond a simple competition—it is a dynamic way to build routines, responsibility, and community among scholars. By combining goal-oriented planning, student ownership, and opportunities for cross-grade collaboration, the games create an environment where learning, respect, and personal growth are celebrated. Scholars leave the week not only having strengthened their classroom culture but also carrying lessons in resilience, cooperation, and pride that will benefit them long after the Olympics are over.