McClure Starts Year with Slam-Dunk

Although some of the students looked a little tired, many still sported smiles and laughs when they were greeted by four Atlanta Hawks cheerleaders, the NBA team’s two mascots and an assistant coach as they arrived for the first day of school at McClure Middle School Monday morning.

The representatives of the NBA team greeted the school’s 1,200 students as they exited their buses and participated in the school’s live televised morning announcements.

After starting his day by missing his bus, eighth-grade student Anthony Bernardez found his morning getting suddenly better when he arrived at school as the last student. Bernardez received special attention from the Hawks mascots and was escorted over the recently built “Bridge of Knowledge” by cheerleaders Stephanie and Nikki, whose last names were withheld per team policy.

Seeing Bernardez’s big grin as he posed for photos, Atlanta Hawk public announcer Ryan Cameron joked, “He’s gonna be late every day.”

Bernardez said he didn’t know what he was getting into when he came around the corner of the school and heard all the cheering.

“I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’” he said. “I just went along with it. It was cool, just the whole thing.”

McClure principal Susan Wing said she always tries to make the first day of school memorable for her students. Wing’s husband, Andy, built the Bridge of Knowledge over the weekend for the special event and Howdy Hays, husband of assistant principal Judy, worked on the water and landscaping of the area.

The project required working 10-hour days on Saturday and Sunday, Andy Wing said.

The Bridge of Knowledge tied into this year’s school theme of “Our Past and Our Present – Become the Bridge to Our Future,” said Susan Wing, who was also wearing a T-shirt that featured the motto.

“Our goal is to wow the kids on the first day,” said Wing, a 32-year educator and the school’s only principal. “…It’s about building excitement so they enter each day looking forward to learning instead of dreading learning. It’s all how you throw it out there.”

Atlanta Hawks Assistant Coach Lester Conner welcomed students by giving them high fives as they walked toward the Bridge of Knowledge.

“It felt like 1,200 (students) because my arm was getting tired,” said Conner, who’s entering his 13th season as a pro assistant after a 13-year playing career. “As a coach, you want to give energy to your players and I tried to have the same philosophy with the students.”

Cheerleader Nikki also enjoyed participating in the Atlanta Hawks Community Caravan event.

“For me, it’s about being here for the kids and to let them know we’re here to support them, too,” said Nikki, who has been an Atlanta Hawks cheerleader for four years. “I love kids and I love being around them and their energy. Usually the first day of school is so nerve racking, so we’re here to get them encouraged and let them know they’re going to have a great year.”

As part of the back-to-school event, the Atlanta Hawks Foundation, along with SCANA Energy, donated $2,500 to McClure’s conservation initiatives.

“They have a lot of green projects and we wanted to extend our reach to the community where our fans work and play,” said Andrea Carter, the Hawks’ director of community development. “Another reason was the ‘wow experience’ that they created with the first day of school.”