Preparing for a Successful School Year Starts Before the First Bell
The first day of school may mark the start of a new year for students, but for Communities In Schools® (CIS®) site coordinators, the work begins months earlier.
We met with Family Connection-CIS of Athens Site Coordinator Zowee Strong at Cedar Shoals High School (CSHS) — the same high school she graduated from — to get a glimpse into what it really takes to prepare for a successful school year and ensure students feel supported before they even walk through the doors.
Planning Starts Early
Zowee’s approach is simple: be proactive, not reactive.
During the final weeks of school, Zowee meets with her school support team to reflect on what worked, identify emerging student needs, and begin planning for the fall. Then, in late July, she returns to campus to meet with them again to align on priorities, ensuring everyone is ready to support students from day one.
Building Connections Over the Summer
Summer doesn't mean a break for Zowee.
She helps run the Freshman Academy, a week-long onboarding camp that helps middle schoolers transition to high school. Incoming freshmen learn how schedules work, how to navigate a larger campus, and what to expect in their new environment. For Zowee, it’s also a chance to start building relationships with the students she'll support all year.
Her preparation extends beyond her own campus. Zowee works closely with the CIS site coordinators at the two middle schools feeding into CSHS to learn about incoming students before they ever set foot on campus.
My first meeting with students who received support from CIS in middle school isn’t about asking, ‘Why did you do this or that last year?’ It’s none of that. It’s simply, ‘Welcome back to school! Let's continue working together on your goals, and you’re going to do great this year.’
— Zowee Strong, CIS Site Coordinator at Cedar Shoals High School
That early collaboration makes a difference. Incoming students already know they’ll have a CIS site coordinator waiting to support them at their new school.
Creating a Safe Space
Walk into Zowee's room and you'll immediately notice the lights are low and music is playing. She keeps a zen stand stocked with sand and fidget balls — a holdover from her days as a first-grade teacher — that students are welcome to use while they talk. Students also have the option to sit as close or as far away as they feel comfortable.
Her goal is to create comfort. When students feel at ease, they’re more likely to stop by, open up, and return whenever they need support.
Engaging Families
Open House gives Zowee another opportunity to build relationships before the school year gains momentum. She meets families, answers questions, and connects with students who may benefit from CIS services.
She has seen especially strong needs around parent engagement with freshmen. High school can be a big shift for families, especially when credits, graduation requirements, and academic expectations feel less forgiving than they did in earlier grades.
Last year, Zowee and her team hosted a family night near the end of first semester, complete with dinner, no guest limit, and raffle prizes including a car and gas cards. While turnout was modest, it laid the foundation for future engagement. By September, word had spread, and a follow-up event, Jag Fest, drew a much larger crowd.
A Warm Welcome Back
When students finally return, Zowee's priority is simple: make every student feel seen. Her goal for the first week is to be the school's biggest cheerleader.
If students see that I'm ready and excited for the school year, then it makes them happy and excited for the school year, too.
Zowee greets students with snacks, stickers, and encouragement as they arrive, helping ease first-day nerves and build excitement for the year ahead.
Once school is underway, she checks in with students individually, offering everything from a quick conversation and snack to goal setting and ongoing support. Her message is always the same: “Welcome back — we're going to have a great year.”
Setting Students Up for Success
Behind every warm welcome is months of planning, collaboration, and relationship-building.
By investing in students long before the first day of school — and continuing to show up for them every day after — Zowee helps ensure they begin the year feeling connected, supported, and ready to succeed.
For site coordinators like Zowee, preparing for a new school year isn't about checking items off a to-do list. It's about building relationships, creating support systems, and laying the foundation that helps students thrive from the first day of school through graduation.
We [CIS site coordinators] can be that mentor, we can be that friend, we can just be that resource students need.
