The original Ganado Primary was identified as one of the worst school buildings in Arizona, but the new facility has become the pride and joy of the community. The school helps create and reinforce that pride in part through symbols, a critical component of culture. For example, the building is configured in four units, each representing one of the tribe's four sacred directions. And inside the school is a replica of Spider Rock, a spiritually significant sandstone pinnacle in nearby Canyon de Chelly. A school can display any symbols that reflect its values and heritage.
Rituals also are important for a successful school, as for any culture.
At one Louisiana school, teachers share food in their workroom in the morning and talk about the day. As a ritual, breaking bread together has helped the school in Louisiana pull teachers together for a common purpose. His or her interests and actions send powerful messages. A principal should have an almost anthropological knowledge of the school's culture, an ability to read and understand what is going on beneath the surface of daily activity. Some school cultures are truly toxic, seething in negativity.