The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Franklin High School students and faculty were welcomed to the first day of the 2018-19 school year Sept. 20 with cheers, clapping and shouts of encouragement.
Faculty, administrators and parents lined up at the back entrance and entrances to the “B” and “C” wings to give the greetings. More than 100 people took part in total.
Blue and gold balloons hung in arch patterns were attached to each door.
Some students were a bit hesitant to walk through the columns of well-wishers at first, but did so after they were encouraged to come through by the boosters.
The idea was the brainchild of FHS vice principal Rebekah Solomon – although she’s quick to point out that every event at the school is the product of the FHS administrative team – who said it was brought to her by one of her sorority sisters.
“We’re just trying to encourage students to want to be here, to feel welcome in the morning,” she said. “And get the teachers awake and vibrant as well.”
“We want to give them a cheerful welcome to the school year; we’re excited to be here, and we want them to feel the same way,” she said.
Solomon said she was happy with how the event turned out.
“Everything was safe, parents were excited, and we even got smiles from teenagers at 7 a.m., so that’s always good,” she said.
FHS principal Frank Chmiel was happy with the result as well.
“I think it turned out wonderfully,” he said. “I was very happy with the parent and community turnout.”
“We had faculty and staff members who went out to join,” he said. “Any side that looked light for cheering, people went out to bolster those sides and it was amazing.”
“I like to support the ideas of my vice-principals when they come up with really great ideas,” Chmiel said. “I like to go with it, as long as they lay out a good reasoning behind it, and there was great reasoning behind this for our school climate. I just like to do what I can to support those initiatives.”
Here are some scenes from the event:
