So why are Creekside Junior High students so involved in FFA? Three reasons:
The Classroom
A daily practice for agriculture students attending Creekside Junior High in Pearl River, La., involves listening to a motivational song during their daily bell work. Each week, a new song is picked and played every day. On Monday, students listen to the song, choose their favorite quote, and then explain their “why” to the class for choosing that particular phrase in the song.
This key practice helps boost students’ overall morale in and out of the classroom. Britanee Symons, the advisor for Creekside Junior High FFA, is the brains behind this activity. She is the kind of person who focuses on others’ benefits rather than her own. Symons only sees her students for about an hour each day; make that two if they participate in after-school activities. Her expectations for students are simple but effective and follow the acronym P.R.R:
P – Positive
R – Respectful
R – Responsible
These three expectations don’t ask much for students. Because of this small standards list, students enjoy the class … but they mean much more.
Community Outreach
Every summer, students in the school’s agriculture program participate in Summer Learning Camps (SLC). These camps are tailored specifically toward students who need extra help in classes at school. The camp can also count as a student’s summer school. At these camps, students strengthen their knowledge of those subjects while having fun. This “fun” includes a fire truck coming out to provide water games and the Creekside FFA demonstrating how to show animals.
The chapter partners with Symons’ family farm to bring a once-in-a-lifetime experience to kids attending the camps. From earless Lamancha goats to a 20-year-old tortoise, the Symons farm and chapter bring about 30 animals and 20 student and family volunteers to help. Students and family give presentations on the animals and allow the kids to pet and possibly walk them. The children and teachers attending the camp always look forward to seeing the animals.
Student Involvement
Student involvement in Creekside FFA has shot up tremendously over the past couple of years. Over half of the students enrolled in agriculture want to do something outside of class time, such as participate in career and leadership development events. Whatever their motivation, it all comes together back in the classroom with Symons and her weekly songs and daily quotes. It all starts with one teacher pulling that drive out of you; one teacher can make a big change.
