Andrews – Andrews Middle School students enjoyed a brisk morning, hearty breakfast and smiling faces for their first day of the 2025-26 school year.
As the parade of buses rolled in, Principal Joslyn Parker-Booth greeted students by name along with physical education and athletic director Eric Duong and PE and health teacher Kenzie Brown, who helped new students find the cafeteria and their homerooms.
Parker-Booth said Andrews Middle is the primary hub for bus drop-offs “because we’re the first stop for everyone. Buses come here, then to Andrews Elementary and high school, and then on to the Early College and The Oaks Academy. So we have a central call system to help facilitate the schedules. It’s a puzzle that we work out and try to make fit every day.”
Students streamed into the cafeteria for their morning refreshment to familiar faces including long-time employee “lunch lady” Susie Bryant, who said she’s excited for the new students as well as those returning this year, who all look to be a good group as they rushed to greet her with hugs as she knew many by name.
With the hub-bub of buses and the car drop-offs done, Parker-Booth moved on to the morning announcements after the Pledge of Allegiance.
Wishing to welcome students “personally,” Parker-Booth went on to first tell each student “how happy we are to have you here in the building today because we’re ready to have an awesome year,” then to detail the “expectations for the year, which include to behave and to follow procedure.”
From there, she explained attendance policies and expectations as well as offering this year’s new incentives for attendance and good behavior.
“Instead of just prizes this year, we’re offering more tangible experiences. We’re wanting to put students on the path of encouragement and incentive to combat chronic absenteeism. Within the N.C. Report Card and our own School Improvement Plan, we’ve lowered our absenteeism by 5%. and we want to continue to improve that measurement.”
“We’ve always offered incentives, but usually at the nine-week mark. This year, we’ve decided to offer them every three weeks.”
Students meeting behavior expectations by Friday, Sept. 5, will be entered into a raffle to become “Principal for a Day.” Measures to be met include no office referrals or other incurred disciplinary infractions to be eligible for the raffle. The next raffle Friday, Sept. 12, will be for those meeting attendance requirements, which include no late tardies or early dismissals, and will give students a chance to be “PE Coach for a Day.”
Booth ended her announcements with a challenge for each student to “work hard and be kind.”
Art teacher Parris Annas, on early hall duty along with Brown and Duong, said he was particularly looking forward to the new technologies this year with the recently announced iPads each student will receive as well as the chance to explore more creativity in the digital artwork sphere for the students’ upcoming class projects and featured Art Nights throughout the year.
Administrative assistant Lenia Yonce was also on hand to welcome those students at the car drop-off point in the front of the school, along with custodian Bryan McDonald and School Resource Officer Logan Edwards.
Yonce, who recently completed her degree in information technology from Western Governors University, said she was most looking forward to “not having schoolwork of my own this year.
“And, in my nine years with the schools, this is a completely new group of sixth-grade students for me. I know a few from the after-school programs I work with, but they’re a completely new group, and I’m looking forward to getting to know them.”
With 169 students enrolled this year, Yonce once again has her year on task and track by helping students find their homerooms, and making sure they know which buses to take home in the afternoons, before the year’s needs evolve with each student’s.
When asked what she most looked forward to this school year, Parker-Booth said she enjoys watching Andrews Middle students’ growth.
“We’re so fortunate with this small a school that we’re able to make and keep close relationships with our students. It happens on different scales and timelines, but it does happen for these three years,” she said.
“And, we’re here to assist with and prepare for that transition to high school – we’re the place to help foster that awkward stage to grow toward their futures.”
Heading out to the teachers’ meetings with clipboard in hand and echoing her earlier thoughts on working hard and being kind, Parker-Booth added that it’s important on the first day “to give lots of grace.”
Details: Visit ams.cherokee.k12.nc.us.