MARGATE – The hallways of Margate Elementary School may not be full of kids yet, but teachers are in their classrooms prepping for just that.
One teacher in particular, Sarah Jaggernauth, has a special story that will hopefully bring her students back to school with smiles on their faces.
In setting up her classroom, Jaggernauth wants to emphasize a soothing yet empowering atmosphere. One key, however, will not be set until her students arrive.
“Our classroom rules. I like to make them with the students on the first day of school, so I let the students decide what rules they think will lead to a productive classroom,” she said.
Her classroom is in a school she knows all too well. She went there as a kid and now her fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Cohen, is right across the hall.
“You should have seen how shocked I was the first time we went to happy hour together,” Jaggernauth said with a laugh. “When I saw this job opening, I knew it was for me. Something I even told the principal in my interview is that I remember the motto as a kid, “Excellence through Caring,” which as a kid you don’t really think too much about, but as an educator, that means so much more to me now, and it really resonates with me.”
So what’s her message to students coming back from summer break?
“Don’t be nervous. I would just remember, keep in mind, try your best. Everybody’s best does look different, though. Your best is different from little Susie’s best. It’s different from little Johnny’s best, and your best also looks different every day. So remember that and be kind to yourself. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, as well as being kind to others, and you’re gonna have a good time.”
The school’s teachers and staff are excited to get back to work because, in the last year, they went from being a “C” school to an “A” school. They plan to maintain that, and more, this year.
