The CGB Way-Connections-Growth-Beliefs: Building a School Where Every Student Learns

By Josh Ketterhagen, Principal, Cedar Grove-Belgium High School

A positive school culture remains one of the highest priorities for school leaders. It consistently ranks among the top areas of focus for principals across the country. A strong culture does not develop by chance. It requires intentional effort, consistency, and a clear vision. Without that commitment, culture simply becomes “the way things are,” shaped by circumstance rather than purpose. When culture is not deliberately led, it reflects the energy and direction of whoever happens to be present.

What happens when a school commits to building a culture where every student feels connected and every adult believes all students can succeed? In 2021, the staff at Cedar Grove-Belgium High School made a conscious decision to move beyond “fine.” Our report cards, our data, and our culture were acceptable, but we knew we could do better. Our first order of business was to revisit our vision and mission. We recognized that the people who are here daily, working with students, are best positioned to define who we are and why we exist. This became a collective effort, because without a shared mission, everyone operates from their own.

We started with a simple “culture check” to assess where we were and where we wanted to go. We completed a collaborative mission development activity where we collectively defined our purpose and began building momentum. Over time, we refined our vision to a simple statement: Every student, every day. We returned again and again to a guiding question -- What is best for students? -- and soon recognized three common theme “pillars” embedded throughout our work: strong relationships and connections; a growth and solutions mindset; and the belief that all students can learn at high levels. Together, these pillars became what we now call “The CGB Way.” This is what it looks like at Cedar Grove-Belgium.

Connections are the foundation. Students learn best when they feel known and valued, when they have a relationship with the person doing the teaching, so we designed systems to ensure every student has a trusted adult. Here are a few of the processes we are using at CGB.

• With a list of all students on large post-its, staff used stickers to identify students they had a connection with. In the end, we saw which students needed to have a connection.

• As a staff, members strategically drafted 12-15 students for their Rocket Block where staff provide interventions, reteach expectations, or simply connect with their students.

• During parent/teacher conferences, every parent is called or contacted and a document with these connections is kept collectively by staff to make sure no parent is missed.

Every staff member has a collective responsibility to spend the time and energy to shape the culture of the school where all students will succeed and administration is no different. As a principal, my goal is to make sure I model the importance of connections as well. 

• As a small school, I aim to know every student’s name by Homecoming and greet them as they enter each morning with a smile. Students in the cafeteria get to select the genre of music that is played as students enter. 

• I greet and walk every substitute to their assignment in the morning so that they know who I am if needed, and how thankful we are that they are here.

• I prioritized visibility and became mobile with the “Ketterwagon,” a standing desk outfitted with rollerblade wheels. It has kept me connected to our staff and students in a way that I never imagined.

• I chart every classroom visit and teacher connection to make sure I hit the goal of connecting with every teacher at least once a week.

The two other components of the CGB Way–growth and belief, are closely linked. When we made the commitment to these two crucial components, we shored up our current practices and reworked our systems to make sure all students grow and are held to high standards. 

• We strengthened our professional learning communities by meeting collectively, aligning around schoolwide goals, analyzing data, and focusing on literacy across content areas. 

• Teachers grow together and learn from each other by performing teacher-to-teacher observations twice a year. The conversations that follow are invaluable to collaboration and growth.

• We work within a PBIS framework to teach expectations, recognize when students meet these expectations, and incentivize meeting these expectations. When expectations are clear and positive culture is noticed, it becomes contagious.

• We consistently use feedback by conducting a plus/delta form after every meeting or event so that we are constantly improving our systems and practices.

Ultimately, shaping school culture is a shared responsibility. The specific strategies may vary and each school’s approach will differ, but the investment in relationships, clarity of purpose, and collective commitment is never wasted. Schools succeed because of the people within them and the connections they build -- not simply because of the processes they implement. Find the processes that will work to enhance the connections needed for your success. Time and energy spent on shaping a positive school culture is never a wasted use of resources.

Josh Ketterhagen presented on this topic at the Middle & High School Principals Convention February 11-13, 2026 in Green Bay.