Mead School principal Terri Goldson is a man of his word.
At the beginning of the school year, he promised to get a mohawk if each class at the Ansonia elementary school read 500 books.
They did: The kindergarten through sixth graders at Mead School read more than 4,700 books combined.
So Friday, about 600 students at the school got to watch Goldson get his mohawk.
“I’m very proud of each and every one of you, again, for what you promised to do,” Goldson said after the haircut. “You promised to read those books, and I promised to get a hideous hair cut. So thank you very much.”
Goldson’s mohawk was cut by Krystal McNeil. A teacher sprayed it hot pink after the cut was finished.
The students chanted “Cut it off!” while the hair cut took place in Mead School’s gymnasium Friday. Click play on the video above to see the action.
Students and teachers alike got into the spirit, styling their hair in wacky hairdos, and wearing mohawk wigs throughout the day.
Goldson knows how to energize a room full of students. From his Mead School Beat to his raucous pep rallies, he get students pumped.
But it always goes back to learning, Goldson said.
The school started its reading challenge — called “The Key is to Read” — two years ago in just the sixth grade. The challenge has grown to all the classes in the school.
“Reading is such a critical skill that students must have and develop,” Goldson said. “It is used every day and in all domains of learning.”
Click here to read more about the school’s reading program.
The efforts at Mead School are paying off.
Test scores up increasing, and the school was recently honored by Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now as one of a handful of “Success Story Schools” in Connecticut education. Click here to read more about the designation.
“And don’t forget what it’s all about,” Goldson said to students before they left Friday. “It’s about learning. It’s about improving yourself. And it’s about seeking knowledge.”
