THE RON CLARK ACADEMY STEPS INTO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WITH PURPOSE and PASSION

The rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the Ron Clark Academy (RCA); the first day of school was an extraordinary one!  As students approached the main gate, they were greeted by the renowned Southwest Dekalb marching band, whose 100 members lined the entryway bellowing harmonious tones that filtered the parking lot.  It is an RCA tradition for staff to run to, embrace, and cheer the students on as they arrive on the first day of school, and the Mother Nature didn't hamper the celebration.

"There is nothing like the first day of school at the Ron Clark Academy.  We are a family and believe in lifting up all of our students as well as giving them the motivation they need to succeed,” said Kim Bearden, executive director of the Ron Clark Academy.  “We love all of our students, and this is an important day for them as some begin and many continue their journey at RCA.”

As students walked their way to the RCA building and opened the lobby doors, the sounds continued to elevate as the Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders, along with the Morris Brown College drum line, welcomed students one by one.

Inside the school, several sororities and fraternities, such as the Alpha Kappa Alpha from Clark Atlanta University and Georgia State University’s Alpha Phi Alpha and Omega Psi Phi, were teaching the students the history of their organizations and showing them the depths of stepping, which is an expressive form of dance that is rooted in the tradition of African stepping.

However, the sorority and fraternities were not the only ones that were able to show off their moves.  The RCA staff surprised students with a step performance that resulted in teachers and the school’s administrators who began stomping, clapping, and chanting songs of school pride in unison. 

After the performance, the students screamed, cheered, and burst into joyful laughter. To see footage of the show, click here.

“We wanted to do something special for our students.  For some time we thought about performing for the students, but stepping provided a wonderful opportunity for us to work together as a team and show the students how much we love an appreciate them,” said Bearden.

 

Students at RCA are divided into four houses:  Altruismo, Isibindi, Reveur, and Amistad.  A house is much like a fraternity, and the members of each house become very close knit.   Each house has its own philosophy and meaning, Altrusimo is Portuguese, which means to give to others; Isibinidi is Zulu and it means courage; Revueur is French and it means to dream; and Amistad is Spanish, which means friendship.

On a student’s very first day at RCA, the fifth grader has the opportunity to speak his or her name to the wheel and spin it.  The student then runs up the stairs and goes down the slide.  When the student emerges, the whole school cheers the name of the house and that the wheel has selected for that student. 

This year, the wheel seemed to see blue with Reveur getting an additional 13 members.  The Reveur house showcases the school colors, and exemplifies the core values of RCA, which are to dream big and live without regrets.  The wheel is known for its magic and possible clairvoyance-- perhaps with “the dreamers” coming out on top, the wheel might also be predicting the outcome of this upcoming school year of continued excellence and success.