At Westmore Elementary in School District 45 (D45) in Illinois, the 5th grade team is demonstrating what it looks like to move a Portrait of a Graduate from vision to daily practice.

As part of their ongoing work this school year, the team identified a consistent challenge. As 5th grade teacher Katheryn Zalabak shared, “We are struggling with their ability to work as a group, stay on task, and respect their peers.” 

Rather than addressing this as isolated behavior, the team anchored the work in D45’s Portrait of a Graduate, specifically the competencies of Emotional Intelligence and Responsibility.

From there, the team translated these competencies into a clear, student-facing goal within Thrively. Focused on cooperation and collaboration, the goal provides a structured way for students to practice the skill throughout the day.

This is where the progression becomes visible.

Students are engaging in ongoing reflection and daily check-ins tied to the goal. These moments create a growing body of evidence that shows how students are developing collaboration over time, not as a one-time observation, but as a skill that is practiced, tracked, and strengthened.

In this model, the work is aligned and intentional.

The Portrait defines the skill. The goal makes it personalized. The Thrively Digital Portfolio captures the evidence of learning. 

Westmore’s 5th grade team is not adding something new. They are organizing what already exists into a system that makes student growth visible and actionable. This is what it looks like to move from poster to practice to positive impact, where Portrait competencies are actively developed and made visible through daily student experience.