Crestwood students ‘wig out’ for school

Published 10:03 am Friday, September 15, 2023

Things got a little fun and wigged out at Crestwood Elementary School earlier this week as students met with teachers to set their “Wildly Important Goals” for the year.

Each year, students meet with their teachers to set personal, academic and behavioral goals for the school year. This time, a whole new group of students who previously attended Oakland Heights Elementary School, were able to participate.

“We make a big deal out of setting our goals,” said Principal Dana Bell.

To help motivate the students, Crestwood students and teachers were encouraged to wear wigs to school on Tuesday to “wig out” and celebrate as they set their “Wildly Important Goals,” or WIGs, for the school year.

“They all have their own individual goals that they set,” she said.

Goals can range from having perfect attendance to going to bed on time at night to good behavior to reaching a certain score on a benchmark test. Teachers also set their goals for their individual class, which creates a mission statement for the class as a whole, and Bell sets goals for the school.

“My overall goal for the school is to become an A school,” Bell said. “We are on our way to making our goal.”

By setting their Wildly Important Goals for the year, students are able to practice the school’s Leader in Me initiative, a whole-school improvement program aimed at teaching students leadership and life-skills they will need to be successful. Based on the idea that everyone can be a leader, the program regularly uses language from the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” and promotes leadership opportunities for students and parents.

“I am trying to think of creative ways to get students to come to school and to get involved at school,” Bell said, noting students always enjoy “wig out.”