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North Star Elementary principal tells council students take jobs to keep new building clean and serve neighbors
Summary
Principal Scott Manning described a student jobs program at newly opened North Star Elementary that assigns daily duties to students to build responsibility and keep the facility safe and welcoming; he asked the council to help connect students with residents who need yard or snow assistance.
Scott Manning, principal of North Star Elementary School, told the Virginia City Council on Jan. 28 that the school’s students are participating in a jobs program designed to keep the district’s new building clean, safe and welcoming while teaching responsibility.
"They clean our building, they make our building safer, they make our building more welcoming," Manning said. "They do an amazing job." The school opened its new building in September; Manning said staff revived a longstanding local tradition encouraging students to give back to the community.
Manning showed a short video of students performing assigned duties such as wiping tables, mopping and handling morning announcements. He described a schoolwide target of 400 minutes per student for the year’s duties and noted younger students are mentored by older students on routines such as safety patrol.
Manning asked city officials for help connecting students with local residents in need of seasonal chores — raking, lawn mowing or snow-shoveling — so students could practice their jobs while assisting neighbors. "If there are residents that are close to North Star Elementary that we can help ... we're ready to help when we have kids that have jobs," Manning said.
Councilor Johnson offered to provide names of elderly residents along Second Street South who might welcome assistance; Johnson described one resident in their early 90s who would appreciate help. City staff and police representatives said they could provide additional patrol presence around the school during warm months to deter vandalism on weekends and evenings.
Manning used the council appearance to describe a change in school vocabulary: "We're changing the vocabulary of our school. Our students — they're not students, they're scholars," he said, explaining the school emphasizes intrinsic motivation for learning.
The council thanked Manning; no formal action was required. Manning invited councilors and residents to tour the new facility.
The presentation was recorded under the meeting’s appearances and drew brief council follow-up on community connections and summertime property protection.
