Principal Shalunda Shackelford sat at her desk and dialed in to Dalewood Middle’s announcement system before welcoming students back to school.
“Remember, our theme this year is believe in you,” she said. “Believe with your heart, believe with your mind and believe in your soul that you can and will be great. You got this because you have you, you have us and we got you. So believe in you and lead like you do. And we’re going to add a little bit to it: press forward.”
Wednesday marked the first day of class for the roughly 44,000 students enrolled in Hamilton County Schools.
This school year, Shackelford said in an interview, Dalewood Middle is focused on ensuring staff builds great relationships with students and prepares them for high school.
The staff is also emphasizing the idea of “accelerate and elevate,” which encompasses Hamilton County Schools’ push to both accelerate students who are below grade level and intentionally help push those who are above grade level to demonstrate continued academic growth.