Creating a positive climate on your campus can start with something as easy as High-Five Fridays! Educator Melissa Skinner adds a fun twist that makes it extra special at her school.

Activity goal: Develop relationships with all students. 

Timing: Before or after class on any Friday.

Materials: Fun gloves or cut outs(optional)

Cost: $0-$20 (optional-gloves)

Instructions: This is as simple as it gets. Greet students with high fives as they enter the school building in the morning. A single school leader can give all the high fives, but is even more fun if a group of people participate. Consider playing music to amp up the fun atmosphere.

Submitted by: Washington Elementary School, WY

Last year, I started standing out by the bus lane/student parking, playing music and greeting students as they came to school. When Fridays would come around, I would greet each student with a High Five. It became a tradition that students would look forward to and would start asking me about early in the week. “Are you going to be out there this Friday?” “Tomorrow is High Five Friday!” Etc

This summer another group of teachers went to JRGC and came back with a better understanding of building school culture. They started joining me on Fridays and each week the group grows. High Five Friday was started to make students feel good, but every time a new staff member comes out to participate, they always leave saying, “This was amazing, my heart is full!”

This week is Homecoming and we invited the Homecoming Court and the drumline to join us. Probably the best one yet!

– Keith Bellof, Buffalo Grove High School, IL

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