Throughout the first three and a half days of school, Ring Lardner Middle School students could be found building pyramids with cups or connecting gumdrops with spaghetti noodles to see who could build the highest tower.

Abandoning the traditional learning techniques for the first few days, middle school staff and students were focused on getting on the same page, and bolstering the teams they will work with for the next two years.

Culture Week, as the school refers to it, is designed to set the stage for a new school year.

“We’re trying to develop a sense of community,” said principal Doug Langmeyer. “We want our kids to feel connected to the school and have a sense of belonging.”

Teachers were tasked with finding activities that would build camaraderie among students. For example, for one activity, students had to move plastic cups using strings that were interlaced in order to make a pyramid.

“Each string is responsible for helping to move [the cups], and the students had to move the strings at the same time,” said librarian and yearbook advisor

Amy Gourlay.

The strings symbolize the importance of a collaborative effort, which Ring Lardner leaders feel are especially important at their middle school, where students are grouped into teams for two years.

“We want to show the students they can rely on each other for support, and help them make good choices,” Langmeyer said.

In addition to the hands-on fun, staff focused on activities related to bullying and harassment. This week, Langmeyer continued the discussion when he met with each of the teams to discuss the importance of treating each other with respect. He said that while of course the faculty is there to help students grow academically, they understand that middle school is a time filled with a lot of physical and emotional changes, and it is important to outline expectations at the start of the school year so everyone is on the same page.

He said that, while students are held to certain behavioral expectations, the staff is equally responsible to outline those guidelines.

“We’re off to a really productive start,” the principal said. “We want our kids to feel safe and secure and willing to take risks, but again, it’s incumbent upon us that they understand what is expected of them.”