Event gives John Hanson students a taste of high school
In celebration of the 2018-19 school year, John Hanson Middle School held its Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) event on Friday at Thomas Stone High School in Waldorf to encourage good behavior and introduce young students to the high school environment.
“The purpose of this PBIS event is to build unity, culture, collaboration and let the students see how fun we can be,” said Tangela “Tangie” Scales, who was appointed as one of three vice principals at John Hanson last year. “We teach a lot about academics and content, but we also want to build students’ character. We want to show them that school is fun and we all can work together and collaborate. Everything we do is for our students.”
The pep-rally-like event featured performances by Thomas Stone High School’s band, cheerleading team, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) dance team and model team. To help build character and promote teamwork skills,
students from John Hanson took turns rotating in and out of fun, interactive stations outside which included tarp ball, hula hoop pass, three-legged race, football toss, mummy wrapping challenge and several others.
“We do something called ‘restorative practice’ at our school. Students have to learn to trust each other,” Scales said. “A couple of things we did outside was designed for team building and just building morale between student-to-student and student-to-teacher. Inside at the pep rally, we just want them to have fun and see what it’s like in a high school to include hearing about the fun clubs here [at Thomas Stone].”
Scales said a key component of John Hanson’s visit to Thomas Stone, which is an AVID school focused on developing skills for college success, was to encourage a growth mindset among students and get them excited about building relationships within the school community.
“What we’re hoping for is to build a greater sense of community. Many of our students have come from John Hanson so [by doing this PBIS event], they get to see what we have to offer before they come here and have a good time while doing it,” said Thomas Stone vice principal Shanif Pearl. “We want to get them excited about coming to high school — just building a stronger partnership with our feeder school. Even though it’s their PBIS event, we’re all in this together and able to help students achieve that ultimate goal of getting a diploma in the end.”
The event also doubled as a convocation for John Hanson’s new principal, Ben Kohlhorst, who formerly served as vice principal of the school for six years to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students, according to Scales.
“[Kohlhorst] wanted to make sure that his vision, called I WORK which means welcoming, organized, respectful and kind, is heard from him directly,” Scales said. “He wanted everyone from our school, all the students and the teachers, to hear it from him.”
For Arthur Mata, vice president of the PTSO at John Hanson, he said PBIS is an awesome event thanks to Kohlhorst whose leadership not only helped bring students and staff closer together, but also upholds high expectations for all others involved.
“Everybody’s enjoying it. He’s putting things together that’s creating a lot of smiles on peoples’ faces,” said Mata, a retired U.S. Navy veteran. “I’m just happy to be a part of this school and community as we help the principal do whatever he wishes to succeed at. I love the community we’re in. I love the people here and the staff. I think it’s great and I look forward to [continuing our partnership].”
John Hanson student Monique Wills-Tallen, 11, an aspiring lawyer, said she enjoyed the PBIS event and thinks it is a good thing for other students like her.
“I like it. It seems fun and very energetic,” she said. “It’s pretty cool. I learned about team building and made new friends. [I’m excited about high school] because I’m going to try and be in all of the highest classes.”
“I feel great about [being a part of John Hanson’s PBIS event] because I wish that somebody would have done this for me,” said Thomas Stone senior and band member Jasmine Smith, 17, who also tutors and mentors sixth, seventh and eighth graders around the county. “Teachers tell them about all of the expectations and stuff, but they don’t tell them what it’s really like [to be a high school student]. It wasn’t until I got to high school that I realized that I should’ve listened. So, I like to reiterate some things that teachers said to me and tell students about my personal stories in hopes that it will influence them [in a positive way].”