Playmaker Partner Schools Put Superpowers into Practice Everyday

“Peanut butter and…,” called out Playmaker Jake Sullivan, an art teacher at Mystic River Magnet School. “Jelly!” his class responded, turning from their projects to focus on the instructions he was about to give. Later “macaroni and… cheese!” did the trick. Sometimes he uses “Batman and… Robin!”

Mystic River and Charles Barnum Elementary, another school a few miles down the road, both have paintings of the Life is Good Optimism Tree in their front entry (each painted by Jake Sullivan, by the way). The Tree puts the Superpowers on display in its leaves and branches, with optimism providing fuel from its roots. In the Playmaker version, the four pillars of Playmaker Practice – Joy, Internal Control, Active Engagement and Social Connection – feed everything from the soil.

“Playmakers 'toil in the soil,' creating safe, loving, joyful, engaging environments where optimism can take root and kids can heal, learn, and grow.”

“Playmakers ‘toil in the soil,’ creating safe, loving, joyful, engaging environments where optimism can take root and kids can heal, learn, and grow,” said Ellen Lempereur Greaves, Senior Director of Program & Learning for The Life is Good Playmaker Project.

Jake’s ‘call and response’ technique with his art students, which invites kids to “tune in” in an active and engaged way, is just one example of the ways the four Pillars of Playmaker Practice and the Life is Good Superpowers are on display in both school environments.

“Yes, there were incredible visuals on the walls, and each space felt like true O'Playsis, but that was just a sliver of what made O'Playsis come alive,” said Alicia Barnatchez, Director of Training & Partnerships for The Playmaker Project. O’Playsis, an oasis of play, is a Playmaker term that describes the optimal environment for healing.

Mystic River and Barnum, both located in Connecticut, are Playmaker Partner schools. These are environments where educators and leaders are Playmaker Trained and have access to Superpower Kits, and where Superpowers are infused into Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum and into teaching practices across subjects. Members of the Playmaker Project Team paid a visit to both schools in November.

Art made by students covers the walls in both schools, a teacher at Mystic had placed jokes written on post-it notes throughout the building, and Barnum even has a “Superpowers Song.” Barnum, which is located near a Naval base, sees a lot of transition in its student population each year. With so many new students coming in every year, the song, written by Barnum’s music teacher, Playmaker Matthew Hurrell, offers a great introduction to the Superpowers to new students, and it creates an immediate connection point for the whole community.

Both schools began partnering with The Playmaker Project in September 2018 after Barnum Principal Seth Danner and Mystic River Principal Steve Wheeler attended a two-day Playmaker retreat and decided that training would benefit their whole staff and their communities. In addition to educational activities and classroom integration, the sites employ sustainable practices to ensure continuation and support for staff learning and wellness. On-site Captains at each location are trained to run Playmaker learning opportunities (Boosters) and events (Joyages).