May Greene School: a new spirit

March 1, 1982 Southeast Missourian

Sam Jarrell, principal of May Greene School, displays the school banner to Billy Stringfield and Nicole Robinson. T-shirts are worn once a week on a designated day to enhance school spirit. Billy is the school artist who drew the bobcat symbol. In photo below, Gloria Willis and Lory Gavi are seen as they make a sale to Catherine Rhoton and William Campbell.

Lee Ayers, left, Chris Chapman and Deniese Wynn proudly display the craft items they are working on. Lee made a "bulldog" storage box, Chris is working on a macrame note pad holder, and Deniese is latch-hooking a rug.

May Greene School creates pride in achievement

By Shirley Ates Schlitt

May Greene School has a whole new look. According to Sam Jarrell, principal, the students and faculty are working together to achieve a new school spirit with a positive approach.

Mr. Jarrell reports that a number of things have been done to improve school spirit and to help the children take pride in their school.

Included in the new activities is a student council, school store, and community involvement.

Mr. Jarrell stated, "The Student Council makes a remarkable difference in what is going on at school and how the students feel about it." The new store has helped, too. He said, "The kids don't complain about being out of pencils and supplies anymore." Mrs. Peggy Barks, co-sponsor of the council, added, "We feel that the store has added to student responsibility. They take pride in setting it up, making change, and they're even learning to take inventory."

Supplies are sold at cost and pencils and notebooks in "May Greene" green with the name of the school printed on them all leads to pride in being a student at the school. Fifteen dollars worth of supplies had been sold in the first three days of the week of the interview.

One teacher even started giving away supplies as an inducement to better classroom behavior. The best behaved student of the day receives a pencil and the best student of the week gets paper, compliments of the teacher.

Craig Hempstead related that the Student Council runs the store and "I really like it. I like handling the supplies, and selling the pencils. We sell quite a few May Greene pencils and notebooks. Everybody is so proud of our school that we're happy to be identified with it."

Chris Clemmons thinks "The store is all right. In fact, it's kinda exciting because it makes me feel like I'm doing something special and gives me a good feeling."

Chris reflected on his new responsibilities and added, "The more responsibility we get the better we like it. If the work gets to be too much we can tell the president of the council and he'll take care of the problem."

Another very popular item is the school T-shirt. They are also sold at near cost and the school has just sent in its second order. To choose the school mascot, which is pictured on the T-shirts, each student submitted his favorite animal and the whole school then voted. and the winner was--a bobcat!

Student involvement didn't end there, though. Next came a competition to see who could draw the most realistic looking bobcat. Billy Stringfield has now been honored with the title "artist in residence" and his handiwork can be seen throughout the city on the chests of May Greene students and faculty. Yes, faculty! Every week one day is designated as T-shirt day and everybody from the principal on down wears his T-shirt. The class with the highest percentage of students remembering to wear their T-shirt on the proper day also gets to keep the school banner in their room for the next week.

Mrs. Barks had also been searching for a way to introduce life skills and leisure time activities into the classroom as a way to help the children improve their reading, learn to follow written directions, and to follow sequence. A friend informed her that one of the managers of Wal-Mart was interested in getting something set up with high school home economics classes for display of craft items.

Mrs. Barks called Mr. Hartenberger at the store and soon a new project was on the way. Mrs. Barks was ecstatic about the arrangement because Mr. Hartenberger took her into the crafts department and gave her total freedom in choosing kits and supplies that would be most beneficial in the classroom. Two craft projects are now on display at the store and more will follow.

It is evident that the children take great pride in their work and try very hard to do a good job on the projects knowing that they will be displayed and identified in the store.

The children have collected cans, not only for the money, but to improve the area. Karla Jones, secretary of the council, stated, "The student council is making the school better. We try to keep things cleaner and be like other schools."

Jeromie Scott, fifth grade representative, said, "A lot of school spirit has developed from making the school a better place to be. School spirit helps us take more pride in our school and helps us to be proud of our achievements."

It is evident that student involvement and added responsibility has gone a long way in achieving the much admired school spirit.

Editor's Note:

May Greene School served this community until 1999. It was sold in December of that year to Cape First Assembly of God. That church uses it as an outreach center, having renamed it the House of Hope.

On Nov. 18, 1941, Miss May Greene was honored on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the dedication of her namesake school. Read more in this blog by Sharon Sanders:

20th anniversary of May Greene School