School Spotlight: Hewitt-Trussville Middle School Builds Character from the Inside Out

This summer, Hewitt-Trussville Middle School (HTMS) in Trussville, Alabama, took an important step in its character journey by hosting a Hope Retreat for its faculty and staff. Designed and led by the school's Year 1 Hope Leadership Academy team, the retreat focused on a foundational truth of character education: a culture of character begins with the adults.

Assistant Principal Erin McGuyer spearheaded the planning of the day, which centered on strengthening HTMS' adult culture while laying the groundwork for the school's five core values: Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Honesty, and Perseverance. To select these values, school leaders intentionally sought input from staff, students, and families throughout the past year. Multiple stakeholder surveys helped identify the values that best reflected the aspirations of the HTMS community.

The retreat marked the official launch of the school's Year 2 work with the Hope Institute. Throughout the day, faculty members collaborated to define each core value and began discussing how those values can become part of everyday life at HTMS. The next phase will include creating shared value statements and embedding those values into daily routines, common language, and schoolwide expectations. By first investing in adult culture, the leadership team is modeling the very character they hope students will demonstrate each day.

Several interactive activities encouraged meaningful conversation among staff members. One discussion challenged teachers to distinguish between school culture and school climate, helping the team recognize the lasting impact of shared beliefs and behaviors. Another activity explored the "ripple effect" of positive and negative actions within a school community, prompting staff to reflect on how individual choices influence colleagues, students, and the overall culture of the building.

The response from faculty has been overwhelmingly positive. According to Principal Jared Meads, the retreat generated strong staff buy-in and reinforced a shared commitment to building not only academic success, but also quality young people. As the school prepares for the new year, leaders are excited to see how this investment in adult culture will influence students and strengthen the everyday experiences throughout the building.

At the Hope Institute, we believe lasting school transformation begins with intentional leadership and a shared commitment to character. We applaud Hewitt-Trussville Middle School for investing in its people first and for creating a strong foundation that will allow character to flourish for years to come.