A Wake-Up Call at Centaurus High School
When you’re 14 or 15 years old and a new high school freshman, you usually want to remain anonymous and not “stick out.” Staff at Centaurus wanted to make sure this wasn’t true for this year’s freshman class. Instead they worked hard to ensure that each of the 220 students felt special entering their school, so they divided into groups of four and were given a list of 12 freshmen to visit before school began. They knocked on doors and found surprised students and family members.
According to Colorado Hometown Newspapers, Centaurus freshman Tai Pham, 14, remembers being woken up by the team that visited his home. He said waking up to find some of his future teachers in his home was more than just a little bit bizarre. "It was pretty shocking," he said. "I wouldn’t have guessed teachers would take the initiative to come to your house to do that."
The transitions from fifth to sixth grade and from eighth to ninth grade are always challenging for students; this year Centaurus staff vowed to make it the smoothest transition ever. Attendance and discipline data already show that something is making a difference. More freshmen are attending on a regular basis and discipline referrals have decreased.
Teamwork does matter, and it’s making a difference at Centaurus.