There is something powerful about the beginning of a school year. New relationships are forming, routines are taking shape, and students and educators are quickly learning what kind of place their school will be, and who they get to be within it.

That makes this more than a moment to set expectations. It is a moment to intentionally design for belonging.

Research shows that students who feel connected to school demonstrate stronger engagement, motivation, and academic outcomes. But belonging is more than feeling welcomed or accepted. Students also need to know that their ideas matter and that they have something meaningful to contribute. (Australian Education Research Organisation, 2024; Institute of Education Sciences, 2025)

Educators help create those conditions every day: whose voices are heard, whether students have meaningful choices, how they collaborate, and whether different perspectives and ways of participating are valued. And their ability to create those experiences is shaped by the culture around them—whether they, too, have space to collaborate, reflect, learn, and contribute.

What does that look like in practice?

At Wilshire Park Elementary, school leaders wanted belonging and connection to be part of how every student started their day. With support from World Savvy, a team of nine teachers developed Morning Meetings that could be used consistently across 25 classrooms. Each morning, students greeted one another, shared something about themselves, and practiced skills like active listening and collaborative problem-solving.

Over time, teachers saw those routines carry beyond the meetings themselves. Students experienced fewer conflicts and began using their shared skills and language to advocate for themselves and navigate everyday interactions. As one teacher observed after students practiced assertive communication, “It clicked with some kids... if I’m assertive, I can get what I need faster. Especially if I’m using a kind, respectful tone.”

It’s a reminder that belonging doesn’t have to begin with a major initiative. It can start with the structures and choices educators make from the very first moments of the school day—and with educators having the opportunity to shape those structures together.

This kind of experience matters because belonging and agency reinforce one another.

When students know their ideas have value, they have a reason to participate. And when they have authentic opportunities to participate, they experience themselves as contributors to their learning and their community.

The same principle matters for educators. When teachers have meaningful opportunities to collaborate, contribute their expertise, and shape the experiences they are creating for students, they are not simply implementing a school culture; they are part of building it.

What do we want our school communities to experience this year?

Belonging is not a program or a first-week activity. It is something a school continually creates through relationships, expectations, routines, learning experiences, and the ways people are invited to contribute.

Creating classrooms where students feel known, challenged, and valued requires school cultures where educators have space to collaborate, learn, reflect, and contribute, too.

So as a new school year begins, there are the usual questions about what students need to learn and accomplish by June. But there is another question worth asking: What do we want our students, educators, and school communities to experience along the way?

Will students know their ideas matter? Will educators feel trusted to contribute their expertise? Will people across the school community have opportunities to work with others, wrestle with meaningful questions, make choices, and contribute something of their own?

Because what people experience in school shapes not only what they learn and accomplish, but how they understand themselves, one another, and their role in the community.