The Royal Palm Beach Education Advisory Board welcomed an update from Cypress Trails Elementary School Principal Bruce Saulter on Monday, Oct. 7.
The board meets the first Monday of every month at 6 p.m. during the school year. At each meeting, one village school is invited to present, sharing about the problems and opportunities their schools face on a daily basis, and sharing successes and solutions.
“I always think of my report here as our annual ‘State of the Union’ speech regarding our proud Cypress Trails Elementary School community,” Saulter said. “We truly are a village, educating our children together, and supporting each other’s efforts.”
In his seven years at the helm, Cypress Trails has seen an increase of 110 children and currently boasts 533 students. The student body is diverse with 43 percent identifying as Hispanic, 27 percent White and 20 percent Black. About 19 percent of the student body have disabilities, and the school has a classroom specially designed for children on the autism spectrum.
For the past seven consecutive years, the school has been identified as both an “A” school and as a Title 1 school. Nearly 70 percent of schools in Palm Beach County are designated as Title 1 schools, meaning that 70 percent or more of their student population participates in the free and reduced lunch program and are living at or below the poverty line, according to federal standards.
“We are the only Title 1 school in the district that has maintained our A rating for seven consecutive years. We are really proud of this achievement. Our teachers are the reason why we have kept our A so long,” Saulter said.
He also pointed to smart spending as a reason for the school’s success. “One would be hard-pressed to find another school that has spent its funding as cost-effectively as Cypress Trails. It’s really a testament to our people.”
He then pointed out how fortunate the school is to have so many teachers with more than seven years of experience.
The heart of Cypress Trails is the Ron Clark Academy House System. It’s a dynamic, exciting, proven way to create a positive climate and culture for students and staff. The house system is a behavior strategy where students are divided into teams called “houses.” The system creates a sense of belonging.
The houses offer healthy competition and friendship. One of the driving forces of the system is points. Points are awarded for good behavior beyond expectations, academic achievement and excellence.
For example, making the honor roll earns five points, year-end awards might earn 10 points. Last year, the school awarded 29,242 points.
The four houses at Cypress Trails are Onraka, Sollevare, Nukumori and Protos. House leaders for this year were selected at the end of the last school year. Each house has two leaders, one selected by student vote, and the other selected by a combination of student and faculty input.
All eight house leaders and their families turned out for the Education Advisory Board meeting. Saulter asked the leaders to join him in presenting.
Student Gianna Delgado spoke first to the standing-room-only crowd of parents, teachers and supporters.
“The way I think this house system has impacted our school is that kindness is the best, it’s like the answer to everything. It can definitely affect student behavior and make us more motivated,” Delgado said. “The way this affected me personally is to make me feel like I have a support system, but it also makes me feel needed, and a part of something.”
Skylar Quinn told the gathering how, when she transferred from a private school last October, at first, she felt lonely and out of place. She said her personal experience with the house system made her feel more comfortable at Cypress Trails.
“It gave me the courage to be me, loud and cheerful,” Quinn said. “We do assemblies, and I scream my lungs out. I feel so much courage here.”
Her mother agreed, adding that the Cypress Trails experience has been so much more positive than her previous private school.
Royal Palm Beach Vice Mayor Jeff Hmara praised the young leaders, as well as the school’s leadership.
“Cypress Trails Elementary is an extraordinary Title 1 school because of the school’s leadership and full-on dedication,” he said. “Beginning with Principal Saulter, the commitment to the development of the whole student is carried out in the classrooms and in our community by like-minded parents. It is a powerful combination of skill, unlimited creativity and caring. We are truly blessed to have such a great school in Royal Palm Beach.”
