Kelloggsville — With all the hand clapping, foot stomping and cheering, you might have thought Kelloggsville High School students were rallying behind one of their own teams.
Instead, they were celebrating their “houses” — designated groups, each with their own name, colors and crest — students from all grades and staff members were placed into during the late September ceremony.
Students are “sorted” into the houses, designed to foster character, school spirit and a sense of community, similar to houses in the Harry Potter book series.
Elizabeth Meek, a health and physical education teacher who helped develop the system, said the goal is to bring students together across grade levels.
“We thought it would be a great way, through competition, that would bring excitement to the school,” she said.
Meek said a group of staff members were looking at ways to increase student engagement and knew of other schools that had implemented house systems, including Hopkins High School, which they ultimately used as a model for Kelloggsville’s system.
Principal James Gentile said the goal is to build a stronger sense of community by encouraging interaction among students across grade levels while also fostering school spirit.
“We had a very traditional model where the school is kind of siloed off by grade,” Gentile said. “So, it was a way to pivot from that and build a little more community and a little more togetherness.”
The Six Houses of Kelloggsville High
The six houses are called Apollo, Scorpius, Phoenix, Aquila, Orion and Hydra. Names come from constellations and NASA missions, which connect to Kelloggsville’s mascot, the Rocket.
“Space exploration themes celebrate curiosity, teamwork and pushing boundaries,” according to a KHS statement about the house program.
Each house is inspired by the legacy of NASA missions and the timeless mythology of the cosmos, the statement said. For example, Orion is both the name of a NASA spacecraft and a well-known constellation, which takes its name from a hunter in Greek mythology.
During the first weeks of school, students in each house voted on names, colors and crests to represent each house.
For Hydra House, students chose the name and symbol Hydra because it means regrowth and a server of punishment for laziness and lying, said teacher Rob Fron, who helped organize the program.
On the top right of the Hydra’s crest, the symbol Tabono means strength, confidence and hard work; on the bottom left, the symbol Aban means power, reliability and authority; and the last crest symbol, the fox, represents wisdom, slyness and craftiness.
Fron said students took the decisions seriously, knowing the names, crests and colors will be a part of the school’s identity for years to come.
Students can earn points for their house by participating in school activities and attending games. Staff can award points for positive actions, such as helping another student or picking up items in the hallway.
Each month, administrators will announce which house has the most points and which gets the trophy. At the end of the year, the house with the most accumulated points will have its name engraved on the trophy.
Bragging Rights and School Spirit
Banners featuring each house’s name and crest hang in the school’s gym, while associated flags were distributed to students.
There has already been an increase in school spirit and engagement, Fron said. Students are starting to recognize others in their house and are making connections.
“It gets everybody together in that you see people from your house in the hall and you have fun playing the games together,” said senior Miakayla Crawford, a member of Hydra House.
After seeing the excitement surrounding the “sorting” assembly, senior Cora Paauwe, a member of Orion House, said she can’t wait to see what future events will be like.
“This was our first assembly of the year, so seeing everyone this excited with the houses being announced, I think we are definitely going to see a difference in the level of excitement at Homecoming and other events,” Cora said.
As top houses for September were announced — Aquila and Scorpius — Cora was already strategizing with fellow Orion House members about how they could close the gap and claim the top spot.
For senior and Orion House member Ra’Nique Pointer, the best part of the system has been seeing students from different grades interact.
“It’s been cool to have the grades mixed up and to be able to connect with other students,” Ra’Nique said.
Read more from Kelloggsville:
• They have a seat at the table — and a say on the board
• Yearbook class builds connections, one page at a time
