Hylton Celebrates a Year of Excellence

Last week’s heat pushed a normally outdoor celebration indoors, but a tradition continued with the end of year Academic and Attendance Barbecue on Tuesday. 

The event is a celebration open to students who made the Principal’s Honor Roll or A/B Honor Roll or had an excellent attendance record for the school year.

Hylton Assistant Principal Amy Weiler said 1,115 Hylton students qualified for this year’s celebration. The barbecue is normally held on the football field, but because of a heat advisory, this year’s celebration was moved indoors to the gym.

Students rocked out to loud music and participated in a dance-off, led by Principal Carolyn Custard.

Hylton senior Stephanie Gutierrez, who qualified for the barbecue in each of her four years at the school, said that Custard dancing with the students was one of her favorite parts of the event. “We like getting a day off from school, getting to hang out,” Gutierrez said.

Fellow senior Austin Root agreed. “We have a principal that’s real involved with us and will get out and dance with us,” he said.

Weiler said the event was one of Custard’s ideas to motivate students to work hard. Custard, who is , started the tradition in her first year as principal, and Weiler said she has seen it make a difference. “I think there’s a reason why our scores are high and we’re making huge progress,” she said. 

Weiler said the school’s attendance rate is nearly 95 percent, and the thought of rewards helps motivate students to be at school on time every day. “This incentive is a reason why,” she said.

“The best part about this is you don’t have to be an outstanding student,” Weiler added. “Just do your best.” 

Custard said the students answer the call to a high standard. "These are things that made me enjoy being at Hylton," she said. "I've always had high expectations for academics and behavior, and they just do it."

Hylton’s class of 2011 valedictorian, Kelsey Sweeney, said the event was a fun way to wrap up the school year. “It’s nice to be rewarded after a hard year’s work,” she said.