"Once a Cardinal Always a Cardinal"
Who Are We? WES 2025-2026
Waco Elementary School
359 Waco Loop Road
Waco, KY 40385
Principal: Venessa Cromer
School Guidance Counselor: Ashley Padgett
Phone: 859-387-3600
Fax: 859-387-3620
Waco Elementary School in Madison County, KY is focused on proactively nurturing a positive, inclusive, and supportive school climate grounded in restorative practices.
Adopted: July 2025
Context
School Profile
Waco Elementary is a rural Title I school serving approximately 422–428 students in grades PreK–5, with a student‑staff ratio around 15:1. About 59% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Our school has a full time Family Resource Center Director, Rebecca Maupin. She is instrumental in breaking down barriers to learning and building relationships with students and families.
Community Demographics
Waco, Kentucky is an unincorporated community in Madison County, part of the Richmond–Berea area. Recent estimates show a population of about 2,378 residents, with a median age of around 40, reflecting a mix of children, working-age adults, and older individuals. The gender distribution is nearly even, at approximately 48.5% male and 51.5% female. The community is predominantly White, with about 99% of residents identifying as White and less than 1% identifying with two or more races, and nearly all residents are U.S.-born citizens. Median household income in Waco is estimated at around $58,000 per year, indicating a middle-income community.
Vision, Mission and Belief Statements
Waco Vision Statement
All students transitioning from Waco Elementary School to middle school will be performing at or above grade level benchmarks in reading and math.
Waco Mission Statement
Waco Elementary staff strives to create a challenging learning environment through appropriate instruction for individual differences and learning styles. We work to create a safe, nurturing and supportive environment where students can build self-confidence. We are committed to having parents, educators and community members involved in students' learning.
Belief Statements
At Waco Elementary School we believe:
- That students are the number one priority
- In an environment that is safe, orderly and protects instructional time
- That learning should be fun, challenging, hands-on, minds-on to ensure success for all
- That moral and ethical responsibility will promote strong citizenship in our school community
- In parent and community involvement
Core Components of our School
Restorative Practices are a relational approach to building community, teaching social-emotional skills, and resolving conflict by focusing on repairing harm and healing relationships, rather than just punishing wrongdoing, through dialogue, empathy, and shared accountability in schools, workplaces, and communities. They involve proactive relationship-building and reactive strategies, using structured conversations and circles to foster understanding, respect, and a sense of belonging, leading to better behavior, stronger connections, and more resilient environments.
Restorative questions part 1:
- What happened?
- What were you thinking about at the time?
- What have you thought about since?
- Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way?
- What do you think we need to do to make things right?
Restorative questions part 2:
- What did you think when you realized what had happened?
- What impact has this incident had on you or on others?
- What has been the hardest thing for you?
- What do you think needs to happen to make things right?
Affective statements: (Affective statements express your feelings, needs, and requests in response to another person's behavior, using the structure "I feel [emotion] when [specific, non-judgmental description of the situation] because [reason or impact]." I feel happy and proud when you help with chores because it makes our home run smoother, and I feel supported." They are a key component of restorative practices, allowing for open dialogue, empathy, and conflict resolution without placing blame.)
*Our statements are created around our “character words”
*Respect, Cooperation, Empathy, Perseverance, Kindness, Patience, Honesty, Courage
Social Emotional Learning: At WES, we use the Second Step curriculum. The Second Step curriculum is a research-based social-emotional learning (SEL) program for students from Pre-K through junior high, designed to build skills like empathy, self-regulation, and responsible decision-making. It consists of age-appropriate, classroom-based lessons and activities that include direct instruction, interactive media, and family engagement resources. Key features include a curriculum for each grade level, a focus on reducing problem behaviors, and professional development and support for educators.
Implementation occurs in the following settings:
- School Guidance Counselor classes
- NEST ( Nurturing Essential Skills for Tomorrow) related arts class
- Meet up, Buddy up time in homeroom classes
Student Conduct and Expectations
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports
PBIS is a schoolwide framework that uses a proactive and positive approach to improve student behavior and school climate. It involves defining and teaching expected behaviors, and then using positive reinforcement to encourage them while discouraging unwanted behavior. This approach uses a tiered system to provide support, ranging from universal strategies for all students (Tier 1) to more targeted and intensive support for students with specific needs (Tiers 2 and 3). The goal is to create a safer, more positive, and effective learning environment for everyone.
District Policy:
Madison County Code of Acceptable Behavior and Discipline
Celebrations and Incentives
Cardinal Club Day:
3 A Criteria: Attendance, Attitude, Academics
- Attendance
- 3 or less unexcused absences = Earn 2 Cardinal Cash
- Attitude
- 90% positive on Dojo/No yellow cards/No red cards = Earn 1 Cardinal Cash each week, for a possible total of 9 Cardinal Cash
- Academics
- Complete all classwork/Complete all homework = Earn 1 Cardinal Cash each week, for a possible total of 9 Cardinal Cash
Total that can be earned each 9 weeks: 20 Cardinal Cash
Students start with 0 Cardinal Cash at the beginning of each 9 weeks. They have the opportunity to earn 20 Cardinal Cash each 9 weeks, to be “spent” at Cardinal Club Day on special activities and items.
Positive Office Referral
A positive office referral is a school-based strategy where teachers send students to the principal's office for good behavior, not misbehavior, to build positive relationships, increase morale, and reinforce desired actions like responsibility or kindness, often involving parent contact and small rewards to shift focus from negative to positive reinforcement.
Waco Elementary School Guidance Counseling Support
Waco Elementary School provides guidance counseling services through our dedicated staff: Ashley Padgett, Whitney Stembridge, and Erica Tucker. Our counseling team offers small-group counseling, one-on-one support, and classroom guidance lessons. We also partner with community agencies to connect students and families with outside resources and services as needed.
Principal Pride at Waco Elementary School
Principal Pride at Waco Elementary School is a student group hand-picked by the principal to reflect a well-balanced and inclusive representation of the school community. The group includes students from different grade levels, backgrounds, and experiences to ensure that many voices are heard.
One of the main roles of Principal Pride is to help address school safety concerns. Students are encouraged to speak openly about issues they notice in the building, such as unsafe behavior, bullying, hallway concerns, or areas where students may not feel comfortable. By sharing these concerns, the group helps school leadership respond proactively and create a safer environment for everyone.
Principal Pride also discusses what is going on in the school, including school events, student behavior trends, and overall climate. Members talk about problems that arise during the school day, such as peer conflicts, communication gaps, or challenges during transitions like lunch or recess. These discussions allow students to feel heard and valued.
The group works together to suggest possible solutions to these problems. Solutions may include promoting kindness campaigns, improving peer support, encouraging respectful behavior, or helping create clearer expectations for students.
In addition, Principal Pride helps with community jobs within the building. Members may assist with welcoming visitors, helping younger students, supporting school events, or modeling positive behavior. Through these responsibilities, students build leadership skills and help strengthen the sense of community at Waco Elementary.
Overall, Principal Pride plays an important role in improving safety, communication, and inclusion while empowering students to take an active part in making their school a better place.
Parent Involvement and Engagement
At Waco Elementary School, we believe that a strong parent engagement partnership is essential to the development of the whole child.
- WATCH DOG Dad’s
- Mama Bear’s
- Lunch bunch with students/parents
- Advisory Council
- Academic Meets
- STLP (Student Technology Leadership Program)
- SBDM (School-Based Decision Making Team)
- PTO (Parent Teacher Organization)
- Archery Team
Diversity Events for our School
Schools host diversity events to foster empathy, critical thinking, and inclusion by exposing students to varied cultures, perspectives, and backgrounds, which improves social skills, boosts academic performance, prepares them for a globalized world, breaks down stereotypes, and makes every student feel valued and empowered within the school community. These events create engaging, experiential learning opportunities that build cultural awareness and promote mutual respect.
- Black History Month- February
- KINDNESS month
- April -Celebrate Diversity Month
- Family History Month- October
- December- Optional - culture/customs of the world
- October- Red Ribbon Week
- Women’s History Month- February
- May- Summer Safety Unit
Summary
By integrating restorative practices—through community-building circles, empathetic language, inclusive decision-making, restorative responses to harm, and data-informed reflection—Waco Elementary can proactively foster a school culture built on trust, equity, and a true sense of belonging. This approach aligns well with the district’s efforts to create safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments for all students.
Have a question? You can submit a question online at any time.