High-Five Fridays at Glen Carbon

School days at Glen Carbon Elementary start a little differently on Fridays. As students step off the busses and out of their parents’ or guardian’s car, they’re met by smiling faces offering high fives. It’s all part of a simple, but powerful idea called High Five Friday.

“High Five Friday was an idea our school psychologist, Danielle Scott, thought of,” said Principal Laura Rogers. “One goal our district has is to look at our chronic absenteeism rate. What we are trying to do is encourage attendance.”

While the school could use attendance reminders alone, the goal was to create something positive and inspiring.

“We wanted to use High Five Friday as an inspirational time to get kids to school and give them something to be excited about and look forward to,” Rogers explained.

While the initiative is about attendance, it also aims to connect students with the broader community.

“Another goal is to connect different organizations in the community,” Rogers said. “We want to start making connections between our community and our students and encourage them to be in school.”

Since the school year began, a variety of local groups have joined in the fun. Students have been greeted by staff from the Glen Carbon and Edwardsville public libraries, members of the Glen Carbon Fire and Police Departments, the Chick-fil-A mascot, District #7 central office staff, and even Eddie the Cougar from SIUE. College athletes, including the SIUE baseball team, have also participated, creating memorable moments for students who attend their games or have older siblings on the teams.

The vision is for High Five Friday to happen every week.

“The goal is every Friday,” Rogers explained. “If we don’t have someone signed up, students are still greeted with high fives by our staff and inner crew.”

The message of High Five Friday remains the same no matter who is handing out high fives—students are welcomed, valued, and supported. Each Friday is a chance to build relationships, celebrate students, and make school something to look forward to. And while the volunteers may change, from staff to community groups, mascots, or college athletes—the underlying message is consistent: students matter and showing up to school is something to be proud of.