Students Recognize School’s Unsung Heroes

At Athlos schools, huddles give students a structured daily opportunity for learning about and reflecting on Performance Character traits through collaborative activities and routines.

Before winter break in December, students at Athlos Leadership Academy in Brownsville, TX experienced a unique type of huddle. Led by the school’s character coach, Imelda C. Garcia, students in grades seven through 11 took part in a four-day humility huddle. Each class was tasked to create a goody/gift basket for a staff member who often goes unrecognized or unthanked for their hard work in the school.

“These staff are those who many people don’t take the time to say thank you,” Garcia said. “Yet they are the ones who clean our school, take care of our school, serve us breakfast and lunch, drive us to our field trips and games, assist parents when they come into our school, and take care of you if you are sick.”

Students embraced this new type of huddle and worked together making cards for their designated staff members, filling bags and baskets with snacks and goodies, and thinking of creative ways to say “thank you.” Several of the high-school students even took the huddle home, getting together over the weekend to put finishing touches on their baskets and bags.

“I am very proud to say it was a success,” Garcia said. “We saw students working together preparing these amazing baskets and bags for our staff.”

Three huddles were dedicated to gathering and creating items and putting together their baskets and bags. On the day of the fourth huddle, bags were presented to nearly 30 staff members.

“Students displayed humility, social intelligence, initiative, and creativity during this project,” Garcia said. “This special project was a great way to end our first semester!”