A school is more than just an educational building. It is a place of friendship. It is a place filled with opportunities. It is a place with trusted adults. It is a home.
And 2 weeks away from your home is a long time for many students. While lots kids would rather sleep in until 3 pm and watch Netflix all day, every day, many kids would make the choice to come to their safe place every day.
In knowing this, my school wanted to make that 1st day back extra special. We wanted them to feel safe and loved from the moment they hit campus. We wanted them to be greeted by adults and cheered in by staff. We wanted those first moments to be filled with joy and excitement for the new year.
Here is what the epic morning looked like….
It was AWESOME!
I think it is really important to note that the wind chill on this morning was -18. The kids were so stinkin cold, but that didn’t take away from the smiles and the sheer excitement for this wonderful surprise.
They were initially greeted by Mrs. Smith our building principal as he stood outside. He started his morning at 7:30 with 2 cups of hot coffee and ended the morning at 8:30 with 2 cups of iced coffee. And a frozen goatee…
As they walked in the door the Cheer & Dance team lined the halls with their pom-poms and amazing energy! I was there as guest DJ pumpin’ jams and on the mic enthusiastically declaring “GOOD MORNING!” “WELCOME!” “GOOD TO SEE YOUR FACE!” “HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Energy was high and smiles were plentiful. Some kids tried to act like they were too cool for this charade, but they didn’t do a very good job of hiding their positive reaction behind their hoods.
Some kids ran through the cheer tunnel as if they were professional athletes.
Some kids busted out full dance moves in the middle of the gathering area.
Creating these experiences for kids makes a difference.
It was a perfect was to say “Welcome Home.”
Click here to see a live feed video of the event.
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