Smyrna Elementary School held its first school-wide House Celebration in their new outdoor ampitheatre on Friday, August 25th.
Friday, August 25th finally arrived! It may have been warm but the sun was shining! It was the day we could use our new Outdoor Amphitheatre for our first House Celebration of the school year. Our stage showcased a banner for each of the six houses, a bright red carpet, and music that was blaring the song Celebration. Staff members danced with students as the YMCA song was playing.
House Celebrations are an amazing time when the entire school comes together to showcase the outstanding behavior of our students. While every staff member and every student is a member of a house, we celebrate as one family! We celebrate entire classes, as well as individual students. Staff members are also celebrated for their achievements, accomplishments, and if they have overcome challenges.
We were able to celebrate Ryan Sanford from Dow Smith Company (DSC) as he snuck in the school entranceway by the big tree to enjoy a few moments of this great occasion. Vanessa Ritter, principal of SES, called Ryan out to thank him for leading the charge of managing the outdoor amphitheater construction. She also thanked DSC for their wonderful partnership and for providing this outdoor space for our school and community.
Each of SES’s six Houses were represented as the administration recognized the work and achievements of both students and staff.
We cannot thank DSC enough for its generosity in taking our small dream and making it a reality for our school. Currently, we are in a “Raise the Roof” campaign to raise the money to construct a roof on the theatre. Families have been asked to participate in the fundraising efforts and donate $40 per family. While we have received some money, we still have a long way to go. SES is seeking community support and is writing grants to help in raising enough money for the roof.
We cannot wait to have a big ribbon-cutting celebration when the entire project is complete!
Thank you Dow Smith for being a blessing to our school. Your partnership has really taught us to always dream big and continue to be a champion for our school family and community!
Lichelle Leonard, M.Ed., is an Instructional STEM Coach at Smyrna Elementary School.
