Shaffer Elementary

Shaffer House Teams 

House point systems encourage healthy competition and group loyalty among pupils.  

It works as follows: 

• The school is divided into teams called “houses.” Each house will include pupils from every grade level. 

• Shaffer house team names are:  

Honey Lake Bees (Yellow and Grey) 

Eagle Lake Eagles (Orange and White) 

Almanor Bobcats (Red and Black) 

Crater Lake Cougars (Blue and Silver) 

• House ‘leaders’ or ‘captains’ are appointed. 

• Each pupil is allocated to a house when they join the school. 

• Some examples of how pupils earn house points include effort on assignments, behavior, participation, being kind, etc. 

• Teachers can give points in their classroom and the total points each week will be tallied up in the office where the official scoreboard will be located.  

• Staff will hand out special House Team Cards that are worth 10 points that students earn through their conduct. These are taken to the office when a student receives one so that a copy can be made. The original copy will be taken home for the student’s family to celebrate.  

• Houses compete with one another, in a variety of ways, providing a focus for teamwork and group loyalty. 

• At the end of the school year, the ‘winning’ house is announced and rewarded with a ‘house cup.’ 

• Each Wednesday will be House Team Day in which students wear their house team colors. 

What are the benefits of a house point system? 

• Using a house point system has shown to have a positive impact on motivation and behavior, as well as encouraging a sense of identity and belonging among school pupils. 

• These systems include all pupils, not just the highest academic achievers, and help develop a variety of skills other than academic. 

• A sense of camaraderie, teamwork and healthy competition is nurtured, which contributes to a thriving school culture. 

For an example of house teams, you can watch Harry Potter!