New Year, New Principal

NEW YEAR, NEW PRINCIPAL ARRINGTON BRINGS HIS VOICE AND EXPERTISE TO ASH.

By: Ella B. Photo by: Emily F.

Walking in the busy hallways of Alexandria Senior High, many people simply pass one another by, never thinking twice about it, or only giving a half-hearted greeting. But the newest member of the administrative team at ASH, Principal Ben Arrington, is driven by a compassionate and personal leadership approach.

Growing up Arrington was surrounded by educators and people dedicated to being a positive influence in a kids’ lives. He carries this approach to ASH. “If I were in a classroom right now, going through everything our students have to, what would I want to hear?” is Arrington’s approach to starting the day off in the right mindset.

Down to the small details like the hand-picked daily quotes at the end of each morning’s announcements, Arrington strives every day to have a positive impact no matter how small it may seem. Although this is Arrington’s first year as a principal, he has over 20 years of experience in education. He graduated from Louisiana College with a degree in secondary education. He later earned a master’s degree from Northwestern State University in Gifted Education. Finally, he earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University. He first grew interested in becoming a teacher because it ran in his family; his mom was a teacher and dad was a social worker. Growing up in that environment, helping people and then pursuing a career in education was almost second nature. “I always loved being in a classroom and making that a very positive experience,” Arrington said. Arrington spent 19 years at Tioga High School, but “had always admired from afar the administration and environment at ASH.” This is what pushed him to take that step out of his comfort zone and make the move from Tioga.

To him, being here at ASH is more than just a job; it is an opportunity to be surrounded by people he admires and to lead with a sense of empathy, especially during the

COVID-19 pandemic.

KEEP THE WONDER

STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO NURTURE & CARE THROUGH NATURE.

by: Amelia M. Ms. Adilya Ellington’s Community Based Training class and Ms. Iles’s Freshman Study Skills class are stepping outside their classrooms in a creative and purposeful way this year. Holland Lop bunnies were donated by the Fowlkes family and are now incorporated into the daily activities that teach lifelong skills, like responsibility and empathy.

Ellington sees the animals as a way to, “bring all of us together in a calm, soothing, and therapeutic way.” Ellington and her students are often spotted showing off the bunnies, whose names are Latte, Mocha, Coconut and Buster, to others on campus. They even have students take time out of their day to visit CBT to check in on them.

Caring for the bunnies is a daily task for CBT. The students learn how to: mark a checklist, keep the animals safe, and ensure that they are fed the proper foods.

“There is one student who thought that he was afraid of all animals, but now absolutely loves the bunnies more than anything,” Ellington said. Also, many of the students have gained confidence from interacting with the bunnies.

Ms.Amanda Iles’s class owns the fourth bunny, Buster. Iles wanted to get Buster because she wanted her students to have something at school to look forward to every day. Iles understands that school can be very stressful and it’s not easy or fun all the time. However, Buster helps students feel happy.

Unlike Ellington’s bunnies, Buster is kept outside instead of in her classroom. Each day, her students go outside to complete their jobs with the bunny.

Iles not only has a bunny to take care of, but she also is in charge of the ASH Gardens. She began planting the garden over the summer. Every Wednesday her students spend time outside working on the garden. Student Jera’mi says,” It’s fun to take care of the garden and you get to go outside.” Another student, Cortez, says the best part about the garden is, “growing more vegetables.” Currently, tomatoes are being grown, and Iles is planning to start a winter vegetable garden in the coming weeks. “In the future, I would love the garden to be a school-wide project,” Iles said. Local businesses are donating money to fund the expansion of this garden project.

In the spring, the class hopes to enjoy harvesting more vegetables to enjoy. For now, the bunnies and gardens are giving students at ASH an outlet for expression and a sense of belonging in their programs. [Image 1] Students gathererd on campus on a Saturday to complete the winter garden project.

[Image 2] Danielle P., Cortez B. and Carmello J. help Mrs. Iles prepare the garden for winter. [Image 3] Brian R. and Alexis W. take time during the day to care for their bunny in CBT class.