July 2025 Edition

“I dreamed about a culture of belonging. I still dream that dream. I contemplate what our lives would be like if we knew how to cultivate awareness, to live mindfully, peacefully; if we learned habits of being that would bring us closer together, that would help us build beloved community.”

— bell hooks

At Hendersonville Middle School, belonging isn’t left to chance. 

This spring, 8th-grade students led the way in shaping a more welcoming school climate by reflecting on their own middle school journey and creating something lasting for those who would come after them. Increasing inclusivity and connection with that culture is always a priority at Hendersonville Middle School.

It goes deeper than saying, “I’m a bearcat.”

The incredible school culture can be attributed to Principal Joni Allison's combined talents as both a deeply empathetic educator and masterful systems thinker. The vision that Principal Allison and her staff have for their school is that all the children in the building identify as problem-solvers and learners who take ownership of their outcomes. 

They are employing multiple strategies to realize this vision: 

• shifting to Responsibility Centered Discipline,
• using the 4DX process to strengthen student goal setting, 
• and increasing a sense of belonging by conducting Greg Walton’s social belonging intervention. 

The student voice weaves this vision together. 

Greg Walton’s research on social belonging interventions demonstrates that even brief, well-timed activities can have a powerful and lasting effect on student success.

As outlined in Walton & Brady’s 2019 review, these interventions work by helping students reinterpret the challenges of school, such as feeling like they don’t belong, as common and temporary, rather than as fixed indicators of personal inadequacy. When students realize that uncertainty is normal and that most people eventually find their place, they are more likely to stay engaged, ask for help, and persist through setbacks.

This reframing is especially effective during critical transition points, such as the start of middle school, when students may misread challenges as signs that they don’t belong.

By grounding HMS’s intervention in this research, the school is helping students rewrite the story they tell themselves about struggle and connection. The result is a more inclusive environment where students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

As Walton and Brady put it:

“Belonging interventions… help students reinterpret the meaning of adversity in school in adaptive ways. They help students see adversity not as a sign that they don’t belong or aren’t cut out for school, but as a normal and temporary part of the school experience.” (Walton & Brady, 2019, p. 2)

This past school year, 8th graders were invited to respond to a series of questions on the theme: What do you wish you had known in 6th grade?

Their reflections were honest, practical, and deeply personal, capturing the nerves, uncertainty, and transformation that come with growing up. From learning to open lockers and navigate new schedules to finding real friendship and confidence, their stories became the foundation for a student-created magazine now shared with rising middle schoolers.

“I remember my first day of middle school. I felt overwhelmed and lost. I wasn't used to having multiple teachers and being with different students in every class. But by the third quarter, everything became natural because you learn to be responsible, and it just becomes a habit.” 

“I felt unsure about fitting in because the people around me were all super laid back and chill, but I was very energetic and loud. I didn't change how I acted because it turned out a lot of people liked me for how energetic I was, and I made a lot of friends. So if you feel like you aren't fitting in, just be yourself!”

"Every single grade, there has been a teacher who has taken the time to sit down with me and help me get through everything."

Through this project, students had a chance to do more than look back -

They reached forward.

By naming what was hard and how they overcame it, HMS 8th graders became mentors, culture builders, and reassurance-givers for their younger peers. The message came through loud and clear:

You’re not alone, and you will find your way because you will find belonging at HMS.

“We wanted the students to see themselves as part of something bigger. They’re not just finishing middle school, they’re shaping it for others.” - Brian Randall, Resilience Coach

The result was a series of student magazines filled with insight, empathy, and encouragement. This proves that belonging grows when students feel seen and have the opportunity to shape their environment with their voice and care.

The Becoming Bearcats 8th Grade Leaders

At HMS, the journey through middle school is not just about academics. It’s also about connection, reflection, and contribution. And thanks to the leadership of this 8th-grade class, every new student now has a guide—not just to the building, but to belonging.

Elizabeth DeKonty

Director

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Raleigh, NC)

Eulanda Thorne

Senior Program Manager

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Wilson, NC)

Brian Randall

Senior Regional Program Manager

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Asheville, NC)

Michelle Harris Jefferson

Sr. Program Manager of Professional Learning

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Greensboro, NC)

Orlando Dobbin, Jr

Senior Regional Program Manager

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Greenville, NC)

Angela Mendell

Senior Program Manager

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Elizabethtown, NC)

Leslie Blaich

Program Manager

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Marshall , NC)

Stacey Craig

Program Manager

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Raleigh, NC)

Jessica Edwards

Impact Specialist

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Nashville, NC)

Ervin Jones

Consultant

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Elizabeth City, NC)

Rebecca Stern

Consultant

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Carrboro, NC)

Mkayla Nelson

Program Manager 

NC Center for Resilience & Learning 

(Newland, NC)

Whitney N. McCoy, Ph.D

Research & Evaluation Partner

(Duke University)

Katie Rosanbalm

Research & Evaluation Partner

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

(Duke University)

The Resilience Reader is published monthly by the Public School Forum of NC and distributed to Forum members, educators, policymakers, donors, media, and subscribers -- or anyone interested in issues such as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), childhood trauma, resilience and the power of trauma-informed schools and communities.

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