Back-to-School Notes: Holly Grove Elementary and Heritage Middle

Beginning a school year takes on a whole new meaning when you've only just left the last school year behind. Wiladean Thomas, principal of Holly Grove Elementary, writes:

The thought of finishing one school year one day and starting the next the very next day is quite a daunting task and you wonder how to create the momentum and the excitement that a traditional opening brings. We decided to include our staff by having them introduce themselves in a different way, so I told them that we would be hosting the Hedgehogs Idols (our mascot is the hedgehog) and seeking to find our Hedgehog Idols for the year. One AP [assistant principal] was Simon, one was Paula and I was Randi.

We divided the entire staff into teams that included everyone from our custodians, grade level teams, specialists, special education team, teacher assistants, etc. Their task was to take 15 minutes to come up with a way to introduce themselves. Then we spent about an hour for them to present and get to know one another. They were unbelievable! I gave them a hint the day before and so some got a "head start." They did skits, songs, poems, and the list goes on.

Of course the judges gave each group a 10. This way of having the staff introduce themselves was fun and gave such insight to the talent that exists within our learning community. There was so much information that we learned about each other. It created the "backdrop" for a wonderful retreat and a positive start to a grand new year!

Dhedra Cross, principal of Heritage Middle, wrote in to let us know of the important role her members of the National Junior Honor Society played. "Our NJHS members served as escorts for sixth graders and new seventh/eighth graders at the schedule pick-up event and the first day of school. The honor society members certainly seemed to comfort the new students through the transition," she says.

As a Positive Behavior Support school, Heritage Middle took advantage of NJHS students' leadership. "During the first week of school, we teach and review the expectations outlined in our behavior matrices for hallways, cafeteria, classrooms and bathrooms," writes Mrs. Cross. "At the end of last school year, our counselors and NJHS sponsors trained NJHS members to be PBS ambassadors for the sixth graders. For four days last week, NJHS students went as groups of three into same-track homerooms of sixth-graders to explain school-wide expectations and recognitions. This endeavor gave the eight graders leadership opportunities and gave sixth graders an opportunity to learn from students who've mastered the expectations."

Kudos and congratulations to Heritage Middle's NJHS students!