It’s Field Day at Pleasant View Elementary School and at the moment, there’s a crisis with the bouncy house.
“No, no, it’s not supposed to go there,” says Principal Gara Field into her mobile phone as she rushes out the front door. “Hold on. I’m coming.”
Field, 45, hustles back inside a few minutes later. She grabs a microphone and arrives just in time for the morning assembly in the cafeteria, where the school’s nearly 450 students are buzzing.
“Good morning Panthers,” Field nearly shouts over the whistles and clapping. “I know you are fired up for Field Day!”
As she leads the students in the “Panther Pride” chant she invented, it’s easy to see the hard-charging soccer coach she once was.
“Perseverance,” she begins. “We never give up,” the students respond.
“Respect.” “We honor.”
“Integrity.” “It’s part of me.”
“Determination.” “We strive.”
“Excellence.” “In everything.”
“We’re panthers,” Field cheers. And the students finish, “With pride!” Then they growl in unison, “Grrrrrrr,” and head off for classes and outdoor games.
[For more of this story, written by Jennifer D. Jordan, go to http://hechingerreport.org/how...ggling-urban-school/]
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