When you are the parent of a grade-school student, a phone call home is usually seen as a bad thing. From broken bones and illness to missing assignments and behavioral issues, a call from the school is generally regarded as a bad sign.

However, parents of students at Athens Middle School had cause for celebration when some of them received calls from their children’s school Friday. Teachers, counselors and administrators at AMS made at least 100 “encouraging” calls in order to brag on students and build positive relationships with their families. The calls were made in order to celebrate the 100th day of the school year.

Calls could range anywhere from two or three minutes to much longer, depending on the person.

“Last year was the first year we did this,” Aderholt said. “It was a huge success. I got the idea fro a professional development seminar I attended two years ago. It’s a great opportunity to call home and send a positive message. I feel like those kinds of things are needed right now.”

Aderholt said every teacher, counselor and administrator at the school made calls Friday. He said some parents got emotional during the calls.

“You don’t always expect to hear good things when you get a call from school,” he said. “This helps create a culture within our building and helps us build relationships with students and parents.”

Athens City Schools Superintendent Beth Patton said it is exciting that staff on the middle school level have found a way to connect with parents of students, especially since students are often more celebrated at the elementary school level than in higher grades.

Aderholt said he hopes this event will become a tradition at AMS and even a “trademark” of the school.

“Hopefully, the students feel they are appreciated,” he said. “When I call parents and tell them how proud I am of the students, that goes a long way. This is something we have been looking forward to. Every summer, we mark it on our calendar.”