May 10, 2024 -- Have you ever wondered what morning arrival at school looks like through the eyes of a child?

Well, East Dover music teacher George Markey set out to capture the experience in a song he wrote and then visually depicted in a video. He titled the song “Wake Up, Time to Go to East Dover Elementary,” which features student singers and live scenes from the school’s hallways.

According to Markey, he found his inspiration for the song and accompanying video after he was assigned arrival duty at the kindergarten door. There, he was struck by, what he calls, the “competition of kindness” between fifth grade safety patrol members whose job was to welcome the youngest, often timid, students to school each morning.

He also recognized the dedication of East Dover’s staff who he witnesses go above and beyond their regular teaching duties to make it a welcoming and nurturing place of education. He said, “…teachers must work to teach their students core content. However, in addition to their duties, I watched throughout the year, as teachers worked so hard decorating the hallways.” The extra things teachers do help students feel connected and relaxed at school and do not go unnoticed.

Markey recently performed the song live at the TR Excellence Expo on April 25th and is set to share his work again in July at the Arts Integration Leadership Institute in Princeton.  Check it out below!