08/07/2026
🐝🏆 Where Champions Begin… It Starts Before the First Bell Rings. 🏆🐝
From July 29–31 and August 3–4, before the first student ever walked through our doors, the dedicated staff at Stringfellow Elementary spent five intentional days preparing for what promises to be an incredible school year. Every meeting, every classroom setup, every training, every conversation, and every decision centered on one purpose—serving our students and families by creating the very best school experience possible.
Guided by our mission, to ensure that all students learn and excel at grade level or higher, and our vision of developing empowered leaders, we spent the week laying the foundation for a championship year. Championships are never built by chance—they are built through preparation, teamwork, relationships, and heart.
💛 Day 1 – Setting the Tone
We welcomed back our returning staff and introduced the newest members of the Stringfellow family. Our Leadership Team literally set the tone by greeting everyone dressed as referees, reminding us that championship teams begin with championship leadership.
The excitement continued as one of our leadership team members, who also serves as a local cheer coach, surprised the staff by bringing her high school cheerleaders to help welcome everyone. Their energy and enthusiasm immediately created an atmosphere of excitement and celebration.
The day also included breakfast, team-building activities, selfies, and opportunities to strengthen relationships as we officially became One Hive. One Team. One Mission. Teachers prepared classrooms and personally reached out to families, inviting them to Open House because we believe meaningful relationships begin long before the first day of school.
💛 Day 2 – Growing Together
Our focus shifted to professional learning and collaboration. Staff participated in Conscious Discipline, Pre-K, and Special Education professional learning while grade-level teams collaborated to strengthen instruction, review procedures, and prepare engaging learning environments. Every conversation centered on one goal—providing every child with an exceptional learning experience from day one.
💛 Day 3 – Leading with Purpose
We began the morning by celebrating excellence as we proudly added our newest Georgia Department of Education recognition ribbons to our school displays, honoring our 3rd Grade Gateway Growth and 5th Grade Growth Literacy Leader achievements, along with our Title I Reward School recognition. These accomplishments reflect the hard work of our students, staff, and families and remind us that while we celebrate success, we never stop striving for more.
Our Leadership Team then laid the foundation for the year by leading the faculty through our mission, vision, staff norms, and our co-created collective commitments. Together, we focused on the Three Big Ideas of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), while each leadership committee shared its action plan for supporting teaching, learning, and continuous improvement throughout the school year.
Later that day, we proudly joined educators from across Colquitt County for the district’s annual Convocation, celebrating the beginning of another school year and renewing our commitment to serving students with excellence. We were especially proud to celebrate two outstanding members of our Stringfellow family:
🏆 Teacher of the Year – Erika Hansen
🏆 Bravo Employee of the Year – Tonya Monts
Their leadership, dedication, and commitment to children embody the championship culture we strive to build every day.
Another memorable moment was Monica Barge passing the ONE Medal to Xzavier Ward during Convocation. This meaningful tradition symbolizes unity, servant leadership, and the belief that we accomplish more when we work together as one team with one mission.
💛 Day 4 – Welcoming Our Families
Open House was about far more than opening classroom doors—it was about opening our hearts. Teachers put the finishing touches on their classrooms, reviewed student information, and intentionally prepared for every family who would walk through their doors.
That evening, our hallways were filled with smiles, conversations, and new beginnings as we welcomed students and families into the Stringfellow family. We only get one opportunity to make a first impression, and our staff made every moment count.
💛 Day 5 – Ready for Day One
Our final day brought everything together as grade-level teams finalized lesson plans, reviewed PBIS expectations, safety procedures, and classroom routines to ensure every student would begin the year in an organized, welcoming, and engaging environment.
We closed the week with a faculty school zone tour, traveling throughout the neighborhoods where our students live. Seeing our community firsthand strengthened our understanding of the families we are privileged to serve and reminded us that educating children extends beyond the classroom walls.
As we begin the 2026–2027 school year, we are grateful for every staff member who invested their time, talent, and heart into preparing for our students. Every lesson planned, every relationship built, every collaboration, and every act of service reflected our commitment to ensuring that all students learn and excel.
We also look forward to partnering with our students, families, and community as we learn, grow, lead, and celebrate together throughout the year.
At Stringfellow Elementary, championships aren’t won by chance—they are built through preparation, relationships, teamwork, and an unwavering commitment to children.
🐝🖤💛 Welcome to Stringfellow Elementary… Where Champions Begin! 💛🖤🐝
