All hands were on deck Wednesday at Harper-Archer Middle Schol. The school’s staff even created a special staging area to register students and address parent concerns.
Wednesday marked the first day of the 2013-14 school year for APS students, and thanks to dedicated parents, volunteers, partners and employees, Day One was a big success.
Despite the incessant morning rain, numerous parents around the district arrived at schools early to assist in the back-to-school effort, and help their children transition from summer break to school-time mode.
At Harper-Archer Middle School, one parent volunteer showed up at the school’s office – where she remained all day – an hour before school began. While she helped with office operations, the staff assisted students, managed registration and answered questions from parents. She was surprised but pleased when she saw a familiar face ring the bell to enter the school.
“That’s the superintendent — he made it to our school today,” she said. “That’s good, that’s very good.”
Superintendent Davis visits a Harper-Archer eighth-grade gifted class.
Superintendent Davis visited classrooms throughout the Harper-Archer building, talking to students and thanking teachers for their hard work and commitment.
At the B.E.S.T. Academy schools, members of The 100 Black Men of Atlanta welcomed students on the all-male campus to another year of opportunities
and possibilities. The young men received an additional boost of motivation when Ambassador Andrew Young surprised them with an inspirational message about leadership and team building.
“The leadership skills you learn here today won’t just help you at B.E.S.T., they’ll help you in the rest of the world for the rest of your life,” Young said to a captivated audience.
Members of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta listen as fellow member Ambassador Andrew Young, delivers a motivational back-to-school message to an attentive group of B.E.S.T. Academy students.
Young, a member of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, ended his message by reminding the students that being a team builder is more than a good strategy for producing a winning sports team. “When you bring up others around you, you are developing a strategy that can change the world,” Young stated.