The theme for this school year is Educators as Influencers… educators have a chance to make a huge impact on students.
Music and cheering reverberated through the Rome City Auditorium. A marching band played, a show choir sang, cheerleaders performed, and Willie the Wolf, Rome High’s mascot, danced and helped lead cheers.
If you closed your eyes for a moment, you would think you had been transported to Barron Stadium for a pivotal region football game. Instead, the auditorium was packed to the brim with Rome City Schools teachers all sporting a black t-shirt with the word influencer emblazoned across the front. Those teachers and staff cheered, danced, and helped welcome the new school year.
Several speakers took the stage, including the Georgia Teacher of the Year Christy Todd, who marveled at the spectacle, the crowd, and the energy Rome City School staff brought to the event.
Superintendent Dr. Eric L. Holland was all smiles when he took the stage and led with the district’s one-two punch. “Our two big initiatives are literacy and safety,” he said. He also touched on the theme for this school year of Educators as Influencers, noting that educators have a chance to make a huge impact on students. “I realized long ago that I may not be able to change the world directly, but I am fortunate to possess the means to inspire the minds that can. Everyone in this room has the opportunity to spark the minds of students. That spark may lead to 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.”
The same energy was on display on Friday, August 2, for the first day of school. Every Rome City School celebrated the day in some way. Some rolled out a red carpet, literally, to welcome students back. Others had props, signs, and photo opportunities for parents and kids to celebrate the return to school. Some even had massive pep rallies that allowed the students to get loud and celebrate being back in class.
As kids went back to class, many were welcomed with a new ELA curriculum to help work on one of the key district initiatives—literacy. Rome City Schools embarked on a year-long campaign last year, bringing in community members, educators, and more to help roll out a Literacy Compass to help lead the district and the community on a path to enforce Literacy for Life Before Life. The new curriculum is one part of the program that will continue to help students become more proficient at reading. It also aims to ensure younger children get benefits, allowing them to become better readers at a younger age while bringing in not only teachers but parents, grandparents, and others to help.
The district doesn’t just talk about initiatives; it sets pathways and guidelines for them. Dr. Holland often speaks about the district’s four pillars, which include student achievement, staff development, stakeholder engagement, and safety and operations. Each pillar plays a crucial role in every decision Rome City Schools makes.
The district has a multi-tiered safety pyramid from Tier 1 which outlines foundational safety and establishing protocols to Tier 2 which focuses on visible safety measures and enhanced safety training to Tier 3 which includes threat assessment protocols, collaborative planning, and more.
Dr. Holland stresses many things, including the importance of teachers and staff caring for themselves. “We can’t elevate experiences for our students if we don’t also elevate experiences for our staff,” he said. Teachers and staff have four self-care days this school year, during which they are encouraged to take time away from the classroom and take care of themselves. Several Rome City Schools partners offer discounts to teachers and staff on those days. The pyramid, the road map for literacy, and the four pillars mean little if the staff and students don’t embrace them, and it’s evident at events and in the schools that they do just that.
A couple of days after the start of the new year, Rome High seniors and their parents filed into the gymnasium for a new celebration. Each senior got a pin and then sat in the bleachers with their parents. Rome High School principal Parke Wilkinson addressed the crowd. “Think about the challenges you have overcome to get to this point. I tell you to look toward the future but enjoy the present. To the seniors, make good decisions, work hard, and know we are always proud of you,” Wilkinson said. “You’re going to be singing the alma mater a lot this year. I tell you right now that I can’t wait for a beautiful Saturday morning in late May when all of us will come together at Barron Stadium and sing it to end graduation.”
The seniors then recited a pledge led by teacher Amanda Howell that included these words, “I will finish what I started, and I will promise to try my best. I will never give up. I will see each day and every situation as an opportunity to learn. I will be responsible, respectful, and a role model. Go Wolves.”
Parents then took a moment to fasten the pin to their kids. There were lots of smiles, a few tears, and a lot of people taking photos as Rome High’s Class of 2025 began their next step in reaching Barron Stadium for graduation in May.
Dr. Holland was present then, too, just like he was on the first day, helping to welcome students and cheer on teachers. A couple of years ago, he served as principal at Rome High for many of the students present in the gym. He beamed with pride as he looked out at them and offered them advice.
“Seniors, 13 years ago you started this journey. Come May 24, 2025, you will get 13 seconds to stand by the steps, hear your name called, enter the stage, get your diploma cover, provide Mr. Wilkinson with the most powerful handshake in the world, stand for a photo, then exit the stage,” he said. “You work your entire life for those 13 seconds. Your loved ones have supported you during this journey. Please don’t take those 13 seconds for granted.”
He reminded all the seniors to remember the three rules of life: Listen to learn, always do your best, and never give up. He also left everyone in the gym with one final inspirational message.
“Don’t ever let anyone tell you the sky’s the limit, when we have footprints on the moon,” he said.
Yes. Rome City Schools’ key tenets are safety and literacy, and you see that every day. However, the other intangibles that you also get to see are teachers’ big smiles and how they encourage their students to be their best. Rome City Schools believes those small things from influential teachers may indeed be the first step into helping change the world.
