TELFAIR COUNTY, Ga. — On top of their usual studies, some students at Telfair County Elementary are also learning discipline and structure.
They're the school's flag boys - carrying a tradition that's continued for decades.
TCES serves all the public elementary students in Telfair County as the county's sole primary school.
"P.E. and recess those are my favorite things at the school," fifth grader Alex Conaway said.
Like many students at TCES, Conaway looks forward to his school days.
Fifth grader Lex Williams said his favorite part about school is the teachers because "they're just really nice to everyone, including me."
"All the teachers, and staff, and administrators, and principals all treat me nice and with respect," third grader Amina Foskey said. "I like that this school has a lot of respect."
"I like how the teachers and everybody else keeps us safe and make sure we get to class on time," fifth grader Shalyric Drake said.
Every day, students are escorted out of their cars to class by the school's staff and faculty.
Ginger White Spires, who is an assistant principal alongside Angelyn McGhee, is one of the greeters.
She greets every student with a smile and a "Good morning, glad to see you today!" as she opens doors for her students.
"Got all your stuff?" Tiffany Maddox, a paraprofessional in first grade, asks them, before sending them off. "Have a good day!"
Cassandra White is a paraprofessional for kindergarten; she said she's been at TCES for three years.
Like her colleagues, she checks in with students before they walk into the school.
"You ok this morning?" she asks a couple.
Counselor Patricia Hollie says that sometimes the students need energy before they start school, so it's encouraging to have the staff start their days off on a positive note.
When White sees those students she says, "We gon' have a good today, okay? Alright!"
An'Tonio Young is a product of Telfair County.
"I grew up in China Hill, Georgia, a small town in Telfair," he said. "I graduated from Telfair County High School. I went to the army back in 1999 straight out of high school."
Young said he was inspired to join the military because he wanted to serve his country.
"But, when I got in there, I found out I had some tumors in my throat, so I was medically discharged, and I came back and became a police officer here in my county," Young said.
Today, he's the school resource officer at Telfair Elementary and is raising the flag boys to be patriots like him.
"Because it gives the boys structure, you know, it gives them something to look forward to," Young said. "It also shows them discipline and independence."
Young said the flag boys continued the tradition before his arrival; he explained principal McIver assigned him to look over the flag boys because of his military experience.
That's why he incorporated the drills to add some more structure into their routine, Young said.
It's crucial for kids to learn these values during their childhood, so it carries over into their adulthood, the SRO explained.
"It gives them something to look forward to," he said. "It also shows them discipline and independence."
"We care for our children," Principal McIver said. "We try to build a relationship with parents and students."
"I want 'em to go and be young men, brilliant young men," McIver said. "They installed it in me, so I wanna install it in the new generation."
Congratulations! A caring environment and individualized attention makes Telfair County Elementary our school of the week!
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