By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Cheering reached a crescendo at Clanton Intermediate School as students unwrapped their gifts to see which house (team) they would be a part of this school year.

Each student had received a package wrapped in brown paper. Once each of the students received one, students ripped open the paper to see which color was theirs.

Some excitedly held the shirt up, while others immediately started putting it on over what they were wearing.

Students will wear the shirts during monthly house assemblies.

The house colors include black for Altruismo (Portuguese for giver), Amistad (Spanish for friendship), green for Isibindi (Zulu for courage), yellow for Onesta (Italian for honesty), blue for Reveur (French for dreamer) and orange for Uzwela (Swahili for compassion).

Principal Louise Pitts explained that for the next nine weeks, each of the houses will be focused on fulfilling six expectations, including respecting people and property, making eye contact, showing good manners, completing assignments, having a good attitude and giving effort in everything they do.

A group of teachers demonstrated what fulfilling each of the expectations might look like.

When a teacher or staff member sees a student fulfilling one of the expectations, they will assign the student’s house a point.

Pitts said points will only be added, not subtracted based on behavior. She said the emphasis was on re-enforcing positive behavior.

“We think it will be the answer for a lot of the issues for our kids at school,” Pitts said in a previous presentation to the Clanton City Council. “They feel like they belong and that someone cares for them in a house, kind of like a family.”

Each house is a mix of third through fifth grades. All 696 students will participate in the program

“They will learn to work together,” Pitts said.

The Clanton City Council will be donating $3,000 toward paying off the shirts. The school has also received $1,000 for a flag for each house from a local business. Each week, the flag for the team with the most points will be flown on the school’s flag pole.

“We hope to get another $1,000 to finish the payment of the shirts,” Pitts said.