Mornings are never the best when you’re dragging yourself out of bed to go to high school. Maybe you have a test, an IB exam, a presentation, or even just a pile of notes to write. Whatever the case, it’s comforting to have someone meeting you at the door and cheering you on.

That’s exactly what Mason Principal Ty Byrd does every morning, rain or shine, or even snow.

“School isn’t just a place to learns facts, it’s a place to build relations,” he said when asked why he waits outside each morning before school.

“You guys are important and I want to get to know you as closely as I can,” said Byrd, who mentions that he left teaching begrudgingly and was a coach, so the importance of getting to know students personally is not lost on him.

Students are not the only early-birds who get a smile and a wave. Parents have been heard praising Byrd for giving them a handshake, asking them about work, or at the very least saying hello as they drop off their child in the morning.

Seeing parents is good, Byrd says, because it “opens doors and encourages relationships.”

Byrd noted that the cold weather we experienced the past two winters doesn’t bother him. His real enemy in the morning is the fumes from the cars. “The exhaust makes my mouth taste like metal.”

So students get a friendly hello from the man they could be sent to if they get in trouble. But what does Mason’s commander in chief get in return?

“Sometimes you’ll get a high-five from a kid you didn’t expect one from,” said Byrd. “Sometimes they act like they didn’t see it. And when you’re called down to the office for something wrong, at least you guys know that you matter to me.”

Byrd encourages his colleagues to make the effort he makes each day to get to know Mason students. He’s quick to mention the effectiveness of a hug or a smile, or even just a split second high-five.

“When something negative happens, it takes fifteen positives to make up for that one negative. And by starting a kid’s day off right, we’re one step closer to achieving that goal.”

As Prom approaches, the George Mason staff has courteously shared their Prom pictures with Lasso Online. The last article of the Prom series featured math teacher Linda Gantz, who took every opportunity to pose with her charming date.

Today, we spotlight a teacher with a giant smile whose date just happens to be her husband. How could he not fall for her in that sequin-topped dress and Cinderella gloves?

Be sure to check Lasso to find out the identity of these high school sweethearts.

Prom is in less than a week and as we count down the days, Lasso looks back on photos of Proms of the past provided by staff members. Last edition’s photo featured Guidance Counselor Brad McAdam who dressed in a classy tuxedo.

To start off the final week, we decided to mix up the standard posed Prom pictures and instead use a lovely and creative collage from this staff member’s special night. Her Prom collage includes the prom ticket and scrapbook-like details. The style of 1985 is reflected in her voluminous hair and frilly sleeves. This staff member posed several times that evening with her date, which included group shots and standing on a bridge fit for a princess. Look forward to next week when her identity will be revealed.

With Prom only a week away, students may be interested in the numbers that make Prom the amazing night that it is. How much money is spent? When does planning begin? And what do students really think of the chaperones? All of these questions have been answered. 10 boys and 10 girls from both the junior and senior classes at Mason were surveyed, and the following statistics were taken from their answers.

$200 -- the average amount boys spend on prom

$400 -- the average amount girls spend on prom

$300 -- the average amount boys think girls spend on prom

$200 -- the average amount girls think boys spend on prom

$120 -- how much the average guy spends on a tux

$300 -- how much the average girl spends on a dress

15 -- the average number of people a prom group should have

14 -- the average number of days guys spend planning prom

30 -- how many days girls think guys spend planning prom

60 -- the average number of days girls spend planning prom

60 -- how many days guys think girls spend planning prom

100 -- percent of guys who wanted to ask their date in a cute way

100 -- percent of girls who wanted to be asked in a cute way

50 -- percent of girls actually asked in a cute way

100 -- percent of guys have a date *

80-- percent of girls have a date *

90 -- percent of guys say they would go without a date

80 -- percent of girls say they would go without a date

100 -- percent of boys and girls going in a group to prom

100 -- percent of guys who think chaperones are unnecessary at prom

80 -- percent of girls who think chaperones are unnecessary at prom

70 -- percent of faculty who are signed up to chaperone prom who would rather be somewhere else

40 -- percent who say it’s because they can’t get off the boat until midnight

$100 -- average amount girls spend getting their hair done

$50 -- average amount prom tickets cost in the U.S.

$6.6 billion -- amount Americans spend annually on proms

1000 – number of fatalities due to automobile accidents on prom night in America each year

Source for American Prom statistics: http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/06/02/prom-by-the-numbers-facts-about-the-dance/

* remember: only 10 boys and 10 girls were interviewed, so answer may not reflect the grade(s) as a whole

T-minus five days until Prom 2011 and it’s time for everyone to step up their game and finish preparations. While the girls will spend their time worrying about the perfect dress and where to go for dinner, teachers and administrators are worrying about appropriate dance and dress, the SCA is worrying about themes and decorations, and Mr. Byrd is concerned that all school rules and regulations will be followed.

Lasso Online recently interviewed a few of the figures involved in Prom planning, including Junior Prom Committee members Keiyon Tyler and Michele De Mars, Principal Tyrone Byrd, science teachers Jessica Naftzinger and Mark Sokolowski and guidance counselor Brad McAdam. Prom guide lines, dress code, appropriate dancing and regulations are reinforced and students are advised not to forget these rules.

For the full story, please watch Lasso’s video report.

http://fccps.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=130