Next week starts the brand new school year for Avalon ISD and that makes Mr. Tennery (Avalon Elementary principal) a very happy man. Because the first day of school is his favorite day of the year.

“Everyone is full of anticipation of what the new year will bring. I love to meet and greet the kids with all their smiles and tell them this is going to be the best year ever. I look forward to the first day of school every year and wouldn’t miss it for the world,” explained Tennery.

Last year was Mr. Tennery’s first year as principal for the elementary school. He instituted some new incentives such as the six weeks awards assembly and student of the month. The six weeks awards assembly is where each student is rewarded for good grades and good citizenship which encourages the students to strive to do better resulting in receiving an award. Student of the month is when a student is chosen by his teacher for best behavior, the willingness to help and excellent grades. When you are student of the month you receive a ten dollar gift card to Walmart, and eat lunch (pizza) with the principal and their teacher. Mr. Tennery said, “The students can’t wait for the awards assembly and ask me all the time if they are getting an award. The awards assembly and the student of the month have been very successful incentives to help the students get better grades and promote good self esteem.”

This year a new incentive has been added and this one is to promote good attendance. “At the end of the school year a bike will be awarded to the boy and girl that have not missed one day of school. Kids need to be in school to learn to the best of their ability and we feel a new bike just might be the incentive they need,” explained Tennery. He went on to say, “If there are several students with perfect attendance there will be a drawing for the bikes.”

This year the focus will be on becoming exemplary rated. Mr. Tennery explained, “We are so close to exemplary status that we are really going to push forward this year and hopefully reach the exemplary status.” He went on to say that with the new STAR testing the raw scores showed that the students did remarkably well.

When asked how his first year as principal went and was it everything he thought it would be, Mr. Tennery replied, “Fantastic! This is my thirteenth year at Avalon ISD and up until last year it was always with the High School.This last year I was with the elementary students. I love interacting with the kids. They are so eager to learn and I love being with them. It is better than I expected. I just love it.”

“Our goal this year is to maintain what we have and go forward, become more confident and more successful and promote the love of learning,” answered the principal when asked his goal for the year.

Tennery went on to say, “Avalon ISD is a great place, great things are happening here, great people work here and it is a wonderful community. Avalon provides a safe, happy place for kids to get their education and make students successful.”