At Line Mountain Elementary, mental wellness education is coming to life in powerful, creative ways thanks to the TEAMology Curriculum program and School Counselor David Rieck is helping lead the charge.
“The program was already established when I started at Line Mountain,” said Rieck. “I really enjoy it because of all the crucial themes and lessons it highlights. The lesson plans and materials make it easy to incorporate the characters and values into any classroom. The characters are also very fitting for younger students.”
One of the most beloved aspects of the program? The superhero-themed characters that embody key social-emotional skills. “Our students enjoy the superhero characters, especially when we have staff or students wear the capes during assemblies,” Rieck explained. “It really captures their attention.”
Motivation is a major part of the program’s success. Students earn “TEAMwork tickets” for demonstrating positive behaviors, which can lead to a fun reward: challenging their teachers to dodgeball, kickball, or a relay race at the end of each month. “The dodgeball incentive has really given students a goal to keep earning the tickets and encouraging their friends to do the same,” said Rieck.
Throughout the day, teachers are intentional about connecting academic lessons with TEAMology traits. “When a lesson relates to one of the main themes, the teachers bring up the corresponding hero to connect what students are learning to real life,” Rieck noted.
Assemblies are a highlight each month, especially the announcement of the “cape wearers” - students who best represent the featured mental wellness foundation. “It’s my favorite part,” said Rieck. “These students are also recognized as our Students of the Month. They get to wear their superhero cape and walk across the stage. It’s so great to see how proud they are as the school congratulates them.”
Line Mountain has even created a visual representation of their progress with a buildable playhouse. “We painted each piece to match the TEAMology colors,” Rieck explained. “As we introduce each hero, we add that piece to the house. It helps students visually track where we are in the program and how much more we have to go.
Thanks to the dedication of staff like David Rieck and the engaging design of TEAMology, Line Mountain Elementary is turning mental wellness into a fun, meaningful, and lasting part of school life, one superhero at a time.
