Music echoed and reverberated throughout the auditorium as the Rome High Band played. Cheerleaders danced and cheered, Grand Finale, Rome High’s Show Choir performed, and Rome’s JROTC Color Guard presented colors. The atmosphere rivaled that of any football Friday night at Barron Stadium.
But instead of a gridiron grudge match, the 900+ people filling the city auditorium on Friday morning were celebrating teachers and the start of the new school year at Rome City Schools Educators as Influencers Kickoff Classic.
After hearing from School Board Chair Faith Collins and Atrium Health Floyd CEO Kurt Steunkel, the crowd heard Georgia Teacher of the Year Christy Todd speak. Todd, a Shorter University graduate, spoke to the gathered crowd about how teachers can be the best influencers. and if that if you want to be an influencer you should become a teacher.
“If you want to become an influencer. You should become a teacher,” she said. “We can change the future when we help see a student’s potential.”
Todd also noted that although she has toured the state for the past year as teacher of the year, she had never experienced an environment with so much energy as she saw on Friday.
The day marked the first day back for teachers and they showed up energized and enthused. Each school brought noisemakers, decorations, signs, and a lot of energy aiming to win the spirit competition.
After Todd left the stage, the schools competed in a few different events. While every school brought lots of noise, West Central Elementary, occupying a spot in the auditorium balcony, earned most spirit.
Main Elementary Principal Taurence Phillips overcame a large group of competitors to walk away with the coveted Rock, Paper, Scissor’s Title. Each school had a few staff members quickly learn a dance taught by the Rome High cheerleaders. West End Elemenatry’s dancers won for their dance with the Rome Transitional Academy earning an honorable mention nod.
Superintendent Dr. Eric L. Holland touched on Rome City Schools' two key initiatives, literacy and safety and also spoke about the impact teachers and educators can make on students.
“Everyone in this room has the chance to say something and a student hears it and then it inspires that student to go change the world,” Dr. Holland said. “We can be the ones to be that spark plug for them. We can be their influencers.”
To go with the system’s theme of Teachers as Influencers, everyone in the auditorium sported a t-shirt with the word influencer on the front.
The audience also saw a few videos of students talking about teachers who influenced them as well as a spotlight on Caroline Young, a Rome High graduate, who is beginning her first year of teaching at West End Elementary.
The videos ended with Elm Street Principal Lisa Strack and West Central Principal McKensey Wheeler talking about how they both began their careers as paraprofessionals and are now principals.
The celebration ended much like a football game ends on Friday night as the band played the Rome High alma mater and the crowd sang along.