Houston High School athletes gave back to their elementary school last week. Former Dogwood students who are members of the cheerleading squad, volleyball team, and football team came back to the school to help students to their cars in the afternoon or greet students in the carline in the morning. Students’ faces lit up with smiles as they saw the athletes opening the car doors.
They also brought smiles to the teachers' faces too. First grade teacher Alexis Sweda said, “I can’t believe it. I taught some of these kids, and now they are grown up!”
The students enjoyed seeing their former teachers too. “It was super fun to see a bunch of the teachers that I used to have, and it was even crazier that some of them recognized me!” said volleyball player Lydia Loper.
Some students were excited to see football players who play for a team they want to play for one day. "It was exciting because they are so big, and I'm so small, but I want to be like them one day," said fourth grader Nicholas Viotti. "I liked giving them high fives. And I get to watch them play on Fridays!"
It wasn’t just good for the elementary school students. The high school students got a lot out of the experience too. “It was so much fun to help out the little kids, and it made me miss elementary school,” said volleyball player Abbey Johnson.
High fives, fist bumps, and reassuring hand holding connected these elementary students to the high school students, who are all members of the GMSD neighborhood.