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Greendale Middle School students outline 'Panther Pride' push for belonging
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Summary
Middle school students told the Greendale School Board about new morning meetings, monthly Panther Pride assemblies, lunchroom changes and the Character Strong program, and presented survey results showing rising student feelings of belonging and fairness.
Students from Greendale Middle School presented the board with a multi-part effort to boost belonging and student connection.
"Our district mission is all students belong and are empowered to learn, grow, and engage as part of a global community," said Maddie, an eighth grader and NJHS president, as she summarized student survey results showing improving mood, fairness and adult–student connections. The student presenters credited new morning meetings, monthly Panther Pride assemblies with awards, and targeted student opportunities for raising those measures.
Janelle described how morning meetings, which replaced a literacy block, give students a chance to connect and "see what we did over the weekend." JC and other students said morning meetings help students feel heard and promote interaction across different grades. Students also outlined practical lunchroom changes: students may go outside for self-paced recess after finishing lunch, wipe down their own tables and choose indoor games when weather is poor. "We started doing this this year, where you can just kind of...clean up all your stuff, and go throw it away," Maddie said, describing the new self-paced recess policy.
Presenters credited the school's new dean of students, Emily Walsh, with improving bus lines and lunchtime organization, and described the Character Strong program as a weekly, grade-specific session that supports belonging and well-being.
Board members praised the students for speaking and asked clarifying questions. Board member Kathleen Weed Vincent thanked the students and complimented the staff: "You don't oftentimes hear students bragging about their dean, so I think it's a really nice statement for them to talk about ways that you're trying to be proactive with them." Student responses and the questions that followed indicated shared emphasis on student responsibility and social-emotional supports.
The presentation closed with the board thanking the student leaders and moving on to regular agenda items.
