Like Hogwarts, elementary in Greensboro has house system

Ava Hunter (left) compares bandanas with classmates in Erica Abondolo’s kindergarten class after the “Giraffe Nation” induction ceremony on the first day of school on Monday at Jesse Wharton. The color of each handkerchief corresponded to one of four teams the students will be part of during their time at Jesse Wharton. It’s a variation on the “house system” in the United Kingdom, a school tradition familiar to many Americans from the Harry Potter novels and movies.

Kindergartner Ruth Harrison waves her orange bandana around during the “Giraffe Nation” induction ceremony on the first day of school on Monday. Harrison will be in the orange, or Rothschild, tower during her time at Wharton.

Kindergartners listen as Adam Dovico explains how students will be inducted into “Giraffe Nation” on the first day of school.

Kindergartner Easton Alvey reacts as he unveils his purple bandana during the “Giraffe Nation” induction ceremony on the first day of school. Alvey will be in the purple, or Kordofan, tower during his time at Wharton.

GREENSBORO — Orange, Purple, Blue, Green.

On Monday, Jesse Wharton Elementary kindergartners pulled open white boxes to reveal colorful bandanas. The color of each bandana corresponded to one of four teams the students will be part of during their time at Jesse Wharton, along with the already-sorted older students and school staff.

“I’m so excited to get one!” exclaimed kindergartner Jayden Russell.

Monday was the first day of school for the majority of Guilford County Schools’ nearly 68,000 K-12 students, according to a district spokeswoman, who said the day went well.

At Jesse Wharton, the teams are a way for the school to stoke some friendly competition while recognizing students for impressive efforts and positive behavior.

It’s a variation on the “house system” that’s a tradition from the United Kingdom. Many people in the United States may be familiar with it from the Harry Potter novels and movies, which take place in a fantasy version of a British boarding school.

The system at Jesse Wharton has both similarities and differences from what’s depicted in Harry Potter.

First of all, the sorting into teams is done by chance at Jesse Wharton, while in Harry Potter the students are magically sorted based on their character traits.

In Harry Potter, the “houses” are literally the four different areas where the students live, and they generally attend classes together with other students from their house, sometimes in combination with one or another group.

That’s not the case at Jesse Wharton, because normal classes are still the main grouping for students and each class includes a mix of students from different teams.

The team aspect at Jesse Wharton is moreso about competing to win points given out by staff.

Just as in Harry Potter, students can earn points for their team during everyday life at school. Some of the ways to do that are by showing good character or behavior, or perhaps an academic achievement. For example, fourth grader Jaylon Terrell, who is a fan of the tower system, remembers a time he was recognized for kindness and for paying attention. Staff can also earn points for their teams, principal Merrie Conaway said, such as perhaps teachers getting points for getting their grades turned in quickly. The team that has the most points each quarter earns a celebration.

Another unique feature at Jesse Wharton is how the teams are named.

Jesse Wharton’s mascot is the giraffe, and a group of giraffes is called a tower, so the school refers to the four different teams as towers.

Each tower is named for a different type of giraffe: Green is Thorncroft, blue is Masai, purple is Kordofan and orange is Rothschild.

Conaway said Jesse Wharton decided to develop its towers system a few years ago when the school was returning to in-person instruction after being apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conaway said she and the other school leaders were looking for ways to make school inviting. They wanted to help people better connect to school during a disconnected time.

The idea came from Adam Dovico, the school’s curriculum facilitator at the time, who’d experienced a version of the house system during his time working with The Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. Dovico, who’s also a Jesse Wharton parent, still volunteers his time to help out with the towers.

Assistant principal Kerrie Douglas said the tower system pushes her to think more about the example she sets for students, as far as the character she exhibits. Being part of her tower gives her another way to connect with students who are in the same tower.

“I’ve gotten kids to open up simply because we are Rothschild,” she said.

Adam Dovico has kindergartners hold up four fingers for the number of towers in “Giraffe Nation” before the induction ceremony on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C. All students and faculty members are in a tower during their time at the school.

Kindergartners listen as Adam Dovico explains how students will be inducted into “Giraffe Nation” on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

Kindergartner Easton Alvey reacts as he unveils his purple bandana during the “Giraffe Nation” induction ceremony on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C. Alvey will be in the purple, or Kordofan, tower during his time at Wharton.

Kindergartner Ruth Harrison waves her orange bandana around during the “Giraffe Nation” induction ceremony on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C. Harrison will be in the orange, or rothschild, tower during her time at Wharton.

Students in Andrya Kelly’s kindergarten class check out their bandanas during the “Giraffe Nation” induction ceremony on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

Students in Erica Abondolo’s kindergarten class compare bandanas after the “Giraffe Nation” induction ceremony on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

Jayden Russell shows kindergarten teacher Erica Abondolo his work while Abondolo helps Caitlyn Mitchell write her name on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

Luna San Martin shakes her head back and forth as she demonstrates how to be quiet while pretending to hold a bubble in her mouth as instructed by kindergarten teacher Ashley Veneble on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

Ayden Sanchez demonstrates how to be quiet while pretending to hold a bubble in his mouth as instructed by kindergarten teacher Ashley Veneble on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

Charlotte Price plays with Play-Doh as she listens to kindergarten teacher Ashley Veneble on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

Aaron Gwa (clockwise from right), Archie Davis, Benjamin Clark and Kaden Hollis participate in a “get-to-know-you” activity in Tina Doran’s third-grade class on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

Aaron Gwa (clockwise from right), Archie Davis, Benjamin Clark and Kaden Hollis participate in a “get-to-know-you” activity in Tina Doran’s third-grade class on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

A student raises their hand to answer a question in Tina Doran’s third-grade class on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C.

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