House groups a success at East

Harry Potter might not be walking through the doors at Vestavia Hills Elementary East, but a little bit of Hogwarts that has come to the school.

Principal Mark Richardson said while students won’t be sorted into Gryffindor or Slytherin anytime soon, the school recently expanded their house group system to character houses based on the school’s core values, represented by the acronym “E.A.G.L.E.,” which stands for empathy, acceptance, grit, love and excellence.

Students are sorted into groups and meet four times a year, holding different events like the EAGLE Run, which is a character run for the students, Richardson said. Other events include large and small service projects. Each Wednesday, students wear their house colors, he said.

When students start in kindergarten at East, they draw lollipops, with each color representing a different group. As the students are sorted into their new houses, fifth grade students, the oldest at the school, cheer and welcome them into their group, Richardson said.

Students aren’t the only ones sorted, with their teachers joining them in the different groups, he said. Richardson himself is in the “acceptance” house. The group has written notes, letters and even done science demonstrations, he said. Each group even has different handshakes, he said.

“Our teachers really took this on and ran with it,” Richardson said.