High Fives & Back to School!

Labor Day Weekend seems like a long time ago and most elementary, middle and high school kids are back to school.

In my home town, last Tuesday marked the first day of the 2017-2018 school year.

On that day the non-profit Mothers of Hope organized a welcome back event at the Edison Environmental Science Academy and other elementary schools across the city. That morning at 7:30 I joined a group of about 40 volunteers who formed a wall along the front entrance walkway. We were there to offer high-fives and handshakes to the grade-school kids on their first day back to the classroom.

As you could well imagine, the looks on the kids' faces ran the spectrum - some were bright-eyed and

eagerly offered up their hands to be hit. Some on the shy side hid their faces behind their backpacks. And some, at first looked apprehensive but then gradually, by the time they were half-way down the line, broke out in smiles. From my vantage point, you could easily tell which of the kids were "morning people," and those who weren't.

The kids came in gradually, some walking, some on buses. A few from across the street. Like a

family that began the trek to school by looking out their living room window. Then cautiously watching from the relative safety of their front porch, before deciding to make the walk to school.

Most all the parents, grandparents and other guardians who had brought the kids to school also offered up their hands for high-fives, returning smiles from greeters.

And some kids came to class via busses. The expressions on the kids' faces were priceless as they ran towards the welcoming line.

At the end of the welcoming time, the school principal, teachers and other support staff came out to thank us for being there. We thanked them right back for providing this opportunity to join them, if only for portion of a sunny morning, in educating their charges.

It was fun.

It was high energy.

It was powerful.

So, how about the rest of the school year? How can you make a difference?

If you're a parent, the answer is pretty obvious: stay connected to your child. Ask them about how their day went in school, and listen to what they have to tell you. Communicate with your child's educators. Consider joining your school's PTA or equivalent. (Just lasts week I was chatting with a friend who has been an educator for three decades. He told me one of the most important things in a child's life, in terms of being successful in school, is having a responsible adult they can have a conversation with.)

If you're not a parent, you can volunteer. Offer to be a reader. Offer to be an extra set of hands in the classroom. Check in with the neighborhood school's principal and simply ask them: "How can I help?"
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Photo Credit: All photos taken by Malachi Barrett, Kalamazoo Gazette, MLive