VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Fridays are all about pride; Hi-Liner Pride that is. Valley City Public School District Superintendent Josh Johnson said from kindergartens to seniors it’s going to be clear who’s a part of this exclusive club.
Johnson said, “this year our staff has a goal to improve Hi-Liner Pride with our students.” He said the first step toward reaching this goal was designating Fridays as Hi-Liner Pride day where students were encouraged to wear Hi-Liner gear each week.
“We soon realized that not all students had Hi-Liner gear and we wanted to make sure those families faced with financial challenges could send their students to school proudly wearing Hi-Liner gear.” Johnson said, “that’s when Bank Forward stepped up to fix this problem.”
As part of the Bank Forward’s 90th Anniversary Pay it Forward campaign, Josh Kasowski, Market President of Bank Forward Valley City, saw the opportunity to build a sense of belonging within the Valley City Public School community by providing over 1,300 Hi-Liner Pride t-shirts for students and staff.
“For 90 years Bank Forward has been committed to making a positive impact in the communities we serve,” Kasowski says. “When Mr. Johnson brought up the idea of the Hi-Liner Pride t-shirts, it was something we definitely wanted to make a reality.”
Johnson sees the t-shirt as far more than just the words printed on the front and back. “These t-shirts will allow our students and staff to come together as one school district and one Hi-Liner,” Johnson said, “When someone owns this t-shirt and puts it on…they understand and accept the privilege it is to be a Hi-Liner. This initiative, Hi-Liner Pride, may seem small to some, but we believe that having pride is the foundation to a successful school and will lead to many wonderful opportunities and experiences for our students at Valley City Public Schools.”
It’s Homecoming week and on Friday, September 29th at approximately 2pm all students in grades K-12 will fill the Hi-Liner Activity Center for the Homecoming Pep Rally and they will each get their t-shirt. One of those recipients will be Kasowski’s kindergartener. “I’m glad my son is on the ground floor of Hi-Liner Pride,” Kasowski, a former Hi-Liner, said, “Our schools are the heartbeat of our communities and at Bank Forward we are honored to be part of something that’s goal is about building respect, unity, and pride. I’m excited to watch Hi-Liner Pride grow for years to come.”
