Not lacking in enthusiasm, seventh grade teachers at Heritage totally embraced the spirit of the school Olympics by taking on the personas of Greek gods.
At the beginning of each school year, Greek Mythology is a cross-curriculum focus at Heritage Middle School. Three years ago, seventh grade teachers Jake Thuman and Hailee Daugherty started an Olympics contest there in an effort to bolster school spirit by combining what pupils were learning about this topic in Social Studies and Language Arts. The event has become a beloved rite of passage for students and staff, who compete enthusiastically in weeklong Greek Mythology-themed tasks that focus on different skills such as art, academics, and athletics. Every pupil is encouraged to participate and feel successful by contributing to his or her team and the result has been shared learning and a great sense of community among seventh grade classes. This year, Stacey Morrison’s Social Studies class earned the coveted Golden Torch, along with a pizza party.
Many staff members, including the entire seventh grade team, the media specialist, guidance counselor, and administrators, have been supportive and essential to running the events. “We could not do it without all hands on deck!” said Daugherty.