Hellos from the #hairbowgirls !

Lauren Chi (Freshmen) @lauren_nc22 (2018-Present)

I am a 9^th grader at Riverside High School. I play travel softball and I also enjoy participating in my high school’s theatre program. As a student and a member of #hairbowgirls, I like to see changes in my school. Some things I enjoy seeing is when teachers not only teach the curriculum, but get students involved in their learning.

I believe that school should not only be educational but also enjoyable for all students. Children around the world sit in classrooms for about nine months a year for eight hours a day, five days a week. I believe that if you spend so much time in a place for that long, you should be able to enjoy it. I feel that if we make classrooms an enjoyable space, then the room will appear to have more excitement and an urge to learn. Some students learn differently than others do. So are visual learners, and others have to be hands-on. My goal as a #hairbowgirl is to change education to help students want to be in school and enjoy themselves.

Sophia Coulopolous (Freshmen) @sophia_irini (2018-Present)

Hello! I am a 9th grader going to Riverside High School. I’m a choir and theatre kid, and love it with all my heart. I’m trying to do as much as possible freshman year. Auditioning for the musical, the improv troupe, going to a cappella club meetings, staying after school on so many days… It has been relentless so far. Generally, teachers don’t really understand that most students have busy lives. We try to get our work done, but even for perfectionist students like me, sometimes we can’t do it all.  

Being as busy as I am and trying to get all the work done, it leads to staying up until 3 in the morning almost every night, which logically is very bad for my health. That results in me almost falling asleep in class, and not learning what I need to learn. This happens with too many kids. A lot of the problems in the American education system like that one are fairly easily solvable, and it starts with teachers wanting to not only help us learn, but wanting to help us live the best life we can. 

I’ve had some amazing teachers in the past, and the common theme between them is they genuinely care about us as people, and not just their students. Creating that bond automatically makes students love their teachers so much. They’ve also realize us students have busy lives outside of actual school. Little things like assigning less homework, or trying to get to know us as people, they go the extra mile and help us have an enjoyable school experience. With those teachers, I don’t stay up to 3 in the morning doing homework, and I genuinely enjoy their class, and them as a person. I, and many other students, love it when the person teaching us is less of a teacher, and more of a friend. My goal is to help inform teachers what students love in a teacher, and to help students feel happy at least a little bit each day at school.

Gabi David (Freshmen) @gabriellainsley (2018-Present)

Hi! My name is Gabi David and I am extremely passionate about the arts. You can almost always find me on the stage singing, or backstage directing. I have won a National Youth Art Award for ‘Outstanding Direction’ and a nomination for ‘Supporting Actress’. I spent most of middle school being in musicals. It was there I learned, what a passionate teacher was. My director has dedicated his life to teaching and directing kids. He has influenced me to not only be a better actress/director, but a person. So many kids have been changed because of these experiences. He puts in time, effort, and love into what he does. He teaches and directs with an ambition and that is what I look for in a teacher. I am looking for a teacher that loves what they do and takes the time out of their life to help me understand the curriculum and learning objectives.

No student should leave a classroom with an unclear understanding of the content. They should feel safe enough to talk to the teacher with no fear. The relationship the teacher makes with the students starts on day one. One of my most memorable teachers started their day off with a quote each day. The first was, “You only get one chance to make a first impression”. It’s when the teacher takes the time and effort to decorate the room, set up fun games to play, or get to know you verbally that the student has developed a good relationship with their teacher. Students always remember the first day of school. Your first impression often determines how you are perceived. I still remember walking into one of my 6th grade teacher’s classroom covered in quotes thinking, “I already like this teacher”. Students come to school seeking to be inspired, and should leave the school as a better person.

Elizabeth Grace (8th grade) @eliza_bethgrace (2018-Present)

My name is Elizabeth Grace. I am in the 8th Grade at Belmont Ridge Middle School, and I am 13 years old. I do Musical Theatre and I love to sing and act. My favorite thing to do in my free time is read and write. As a member of the Hair Bow Girls, I hope to change the education system so it works for EVERYBODY.

Sense I was in the second grade, I have always had a harder time learning than everyone else. I started noticing that I had to work harder than the other kids when I was about 7. We were learning about subtraction and I never got the right answer. I am so glad I told my teacher about it. As it turns out, I have ADHD. Because of that, I learned how I work the best.

I am now in the 8th grade, and I have learned so much sense I was diagnosed. I have learned that I am a hands on learner, and I can not stand still. I have had the best teachers, and they have really helped me learn the way I can learn the best in a modern day classroom. It was hard at first, but with the help of many great teachers I found my way.

In the beginning when I did not really tell anybody about my issues. I struggled, until I told my teacher. She knew that I was struggling, and was actually the one to tell my parents I should be tested. I was always a socially awkward kid, and once I was tested for ADHD and ADD, they recommended a social skills class. This class changed my life. I learned how to communicate in a classroom environment and I was happier because I learned how to communicate my feelings to my teachers and peers. I still needed my teachers help sometimes, but I could mainly function on my own.

I do not know where I would be today if my teacher didn't tell my parents to be tested. I don't think I would be doing the things I love, like singing, or my school musical. That just goes to show how much a teacher could change somebody's life. I am so thankful for my second grade teacher, because without her, I think I would be functioning at a second grade level.

Sarah Lehner (8^th Grade) @SarahAnne080 (2018-Present) 

My name is Sarah Lehner and I am 13 years old.  I attend 8th grade at Belmont Ridge Middle school.  I love to perform at my schools' musicals. I’ve done Dracula, Mary Poppins, Crybaby, Hunchback of Notre Dame, and 13.  I’ve also done local musicals for ICE Collaborative Arts. I spend a lot of time online watching different genres of television/and or shows, coming up with new story ideas, and especially great deal of time on social media.  I have a passion for movie screenplays and writing stories.  Writing is a free way to express yourself as an individual and no one can tell you how to write your stories because you make the story come to life.  As a #hairbowgirl, my goal is so that young learners can write their own stories and have the voice to openly speak on their behalf of their educations. 

Most students struggle in school if they can’t understand the content they are being taught.  And most students may learn in many different ways, so it is hard for teachers to figure out how to get every student to learn in the right way.  School is a place for students to build themselves up and be able to explore opportunities to learn.  It can be hard for the students to do that while being overwhelmed with piles and piles of schoolwork brought upon them.  I plan on helping those that struggle learning the lessons they are taught in school, and not have to stress about the work.

Courtney Maynard (Sophomore) @_courtmaynard (2018 - present)

Hey! My name is Courtney and I am a sophomore at Riverside High School. I’m passionate about reading, writing, school, music, and running, among other things. Ever since I was little, I have felt a connection with books and literature, and I love to express myself through short stories, poems, and other writing pieces. I enjoy being in school, but sometimes the added pressures of extracurriculars and striving to keep your grades up can take a toll physically and mentally on a student, causing stress. I have been running for the majority of my life, but I really started to love it as I grew older and realized that it is a great way for me to relieve stress because I feel free and unburdened.

In today’s world, school and grades are so competitive. Students are striving to be better than their peers, therefore bypassing the actual learning that is supposed to be the main focus of school. In addition, students feel that they need to be perfect and always succeed in school. When students have added pressure to “be the best”, they find themselves staying up late and overworking, and end up neglecting other aspects of life such as health and personal relationships. As a #hairbowgirl, I aim to create an environment in which students don’t feel pressured to constantly be perfect. Instead, students can focus more on what they can get out of what is being taught in schools, both life lessons and educational lessons.

One event that has shaped my education is moving; this summer I moved from Georgia to Virginia. School and the education system is very different between the two states, differing in the way information is taught, class scheduling, grading system, and difficulty of the classes in general. I feel that I can provide a unique perspective on the way education is presented in different places, and how this impacts a student’s success. Overall, I am immensely excited to be a HairBow Girl and I can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Leila Mohajer (Freshmen) @LeilaMohajer (2018-Present)

My name is Leila Mohajer and I am a 9^th grader at Riverside High school. I typically enjoy school and getting involved in school activities-when made fun to do so. I have been playing volleyball for the past four years at the Northern Virginia Volleyball Association and within those years have played on two select teams. Volleyball is an extraordinary sport that I take great pride in and plan to continue playing. I also enjoy the Fine Arts. Whether it comes to watching or actually taking part in a production, the theater is my happy place where I can escape and watch the people around me shift into a whole new world.

Last year, I was a part of the Young Entrepreneurship Academy where I learned a lot about the business world. YEA is for students from 6^th-12^th grade and it gave us the opportunity to actually start our own business and pitch our product or service in front of a panel of investors. It was an amazing experience and I was truly honored to take part in it. This year, I am a proud member of Humanity First, a community service club that is a part of my school. The main goal of the club is do aid human development by assisting communities that have been afflicted by war, poverty, or natural disasters. 

My main goal as a Hair Bow Girl is to help build and grow our education system so that every student can experience learning in a way that they see is best fit for them.

Sabrina Rice (8th Grade) @_SabrinaRice (2018-Present)

I'm an 8th grader at Belmont Ridge Middle School.  I enjoy participating in theatre and making a difference through charity work.  I also play guitar and trumpet.  I love hanging out with my friends and family.

My goal is to make school a place that people can look forward to.  School can be a place that nurtures to everyone's individual needs, instead of just focusing on one standardized way to teach.  I hope to make a difference in the school system and try to help progress the way teachers teach and the environment in which they do it in.  School should be a fun place, as we spend most of our young life inside of it.

I'm very excited to be able to do something with the ideas that are in all students heads to make learning a enjoyable activity, just as much as a sport or an art.  The effort needs to be given by not only the teacher, but the student, and with the new ideas that are being made, that can be possible.  School should be focusing on all aspects of learning, which will make students learn and feel like they matter, instead of making them feel like they aren't good enough.

Chrysa S (Freshman) @chrysa_sk705 (2018-Present)

As a student, I’m constantly trying to exercise ambition and diligence while juggling classes, homework, tests, extracurriculars, and a social life. I know many kids who feel the same, as they work their way through the education system, and I believe giving them a voice in their own education can really alter their outlook on schooling.

On the topic of classes, homework, and tests, I get to experience all of these challenges from two different schools. On “A days” I attend a typical high school; it gives off an atmosphere of timelessness that I find most high schools do, and there’s something really special about that to me. On “B days” I take a bus that sends me to a separate school, or magnet academy, that offers a variety of high level classes. The academy has a completely different feel than my home school, especially considering there are greenhouses where a football field should be. The academy focuses on many innovative concepts that would be atypical at a normal high school, and the building itself feels very new and crisp.

When referring to my extracurricular and social life, I suppose you could call it varied. I’m on the cross-country team, I play the french horn in my home school band, I golf with my family, and I participate in many musicals. Though it’s a lot of work to participate in all these activities, it’s work that I enjoy.

When I was asked to join #hairbowgirls, I wasn’t exactly sure what that would entail. I knew of the male counterpart, #bowtieboys, but not much more than that. Once I knew what our mission was, I was ecstatic! I cannot wait to become a part of something that will so vastly affect the lives of both students and teachers alike. My personal mission is to do as much as I can to help students find the motivation to succeed, and for hardworking teachers to be able to have a learning environment that serves all.

Madison K. Whitbeck (8th Grader) @MadisonKate22

I am a girl who firmly believes in fair education for every student. Not just sitting in a classroom, blindly filling out notes, and then the kids who do not fully grasp the lesson, fail. I believe no matter how you learn or what your strengths are, you deserve a fair chance to not just pass the class or test, but excel with flying colors. That is my ultimate goal out of the Hair Bow Girls because I have experienced low grades when I did not grasp the lesson and in turn, feeling worthless in that subject and ready to give up. I don’t want that feeling for any student of any age.

School is supposed to be a place where students learn valuable information that will help them in their future with teachers who they can look up to and will help them grow and learn. Not a “One Size Fits All” system. I believe students will truly enjoy school and put in the effort to learn from their teachers if teachers put in the effort to learn from their students and what’s the best way to teach each student. Every human has a different brain which means every student has a different learning style that works for them. I propose a more specialized learning system using technology as well.

Other than advocating with Hair Bow Girls, I partake in many musical theatre productions with my school (RiverHawk Productions) and in a separate production company (Imagine, Create, Explore Collaborative Arts).  I have also been recognized by the National Youth Arts in 3 nominations and 1 award. In my future, I hope to go to college in New York and major in the performing arts and pursue musical theatre for as long as I can in whatever form it may be.