GUEST BLOGGER: MRS. WILEY
Last week, I was visiting with a parent of a younger Eagle and she was asking me what I do at Oak Hill. Over the years, I have worn many hats. The most recent being a fuzzy black hat as I help the 5th Grade Greeters open car doors at the front circle drive. This has come to be one of my favorite times of the day because for 40 minutes I get to hear statements like, “I Love You!” and “Be a good friend and a good listener!”.
I came to Oak Hill in 1993 when I did my observation and student teaching. After I graduated from UT, I was fortunate to be hired as a 5th Grade teacher. Over the years, I taught all subjects, but my favorite was math. I was with 5th grade for 18 years and then, as I was ready to step down from full time teaching, Dr. Mitchell offered me a Teaching Assistant position. It has been a wonderful experience and I have enjoyed working with students of all ages. This year I work with 1st, 4th, and 5th grade.
Fifth Grade has always been a fun age to work with. I have enjoyed watching them as they mature and prepare to move on to middle school. One of the perks of being a 5th grader is the chance to do 5th grade jobs. At the beginning of each year, each 5th grader has the opportunity to apply for a position. These include Honor Guard, Greeters, Recyclers, Kinder Walkers, Shade Managers, Marquee, and Equipment Managers. The 5 classes take turns and do it on a weekly rotation.
Honor Guard is one of great responsibility. Raising and lowering the flags in a respectful manner is very important.
Greeters show up each morning, rain or shine. They cheerfully open doors and say, “Good Morning” or “Buenos Dias”. There are Greeters at both buildings, except on Fridays, when we have our Morning Assembly. Their goal is to get the cars unloaded in the safest and most efficient manner possible.
Recyclers do a great job of helping to dump the recycling bins from the classrooms. They have a map of the school and visit different areas each day. It usually takes a couple of months to get things running smoothly, but they are dedicated.
Kinder Walkers were added 5 years ago when we started having buses unload the Annex students at the main building. Their job is to deliver the students to their classrooms safely. They always discover how challenging it can be at times to keep a group of students together and following directions. They really enjoy working with the younger Eagles and make sure they all get to their classrooms safely.
Shade Managers have the job of putting the umbrellas up at the picnic tables. This happens mostly during good weather. The umbrellas provide shade for classes who might go outside for a lesson and also for parents who come to eat lunch with their children.
The Marquee has been the responsibility of Ms. Osio’s class for the past several years. They try their best to keep you informed of what is happening at our school.
Finally, most of the classes have an Equipment Manager. Their job is to take out playground equipment at WOW time. The most difficult part is collecting it when it is time to come indoors.
These traditions, as well as the staff and students, are a big part of the Oak Hill experience and just one of the many reasons I am still here after 23 years.
