Principal plays Iron Man to uplift his students at Whitehaven Elementary
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Heroes exist at Memphis-Shelby County Schools, too.
This Halloween, students at a Memphis elementary got the chance to not only see their principal dress up as Iron man the Superhero but also dress up as the fictional character with him.
Tommy Elliott, the principal of Whitehaven Elementary, has been dressing up as Ironman for about eight years.
This year, he said he wanted to do something different and encourage the students to dress up as Ironman as well.
“Tony Starks [Iron man] was a boy genius and that is what I consider my students,” Elliott said.
The change came from just an opportunity to focus more on the mission and vision as a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) focused school.
Being that the suit that Iron man is wearing in the fiction movie is made through technology, it helps emphasize what the students are learning in class.
“It was also an opportunity to increase attendance,” Elliot said. “Just by giving the students the opportunity to dress out of uniform for school. Today we definitely had an increase in our normal attendance in school.”
Elliott’s office is decorated in Iron Man paraphernalia.
He said it helps students refocus or redirect their mind when they come to his office. He also said it is a symbol to show students that he is approachable.
Elliott mentioned that the topic of the superhero sets the tone of how they can address the student or students behavioral issues.
“You will be amazed to see how that opens up that conversation by just focusing on that first,” Elliott said.
First grader at Whitehaven Elementary, Luca Rubin, said that seeing his principal dress up as Iron man is special to him because he is a hero.
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