McIntire Elementary students came to school as Bears on Friday morning, but left that afternoon as Hornets.
The school's official mascot became the Hornet during a packed pep assembly Friday morning, hours ahead of the homecoming parade and game against the Boonville Pirates.
As part of the district's "Graduation Matters" program, all three elementary schools will be switching to black and gold colors and the Hornet mascot to build solidarity and school pride amongst students from the moment they enter the Fulton School District.
The Graduation Matters initiative began two years ago when the district was contacted by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to fund a district-wide committee to analyze data and factors contributing to graduation rates.
"One of the things the team felt was important was building solidarity and calling kids the "class of' instead of first, second or third graders," said Jason Whitt, Fulton High School principal. "They also said, "Why do we have different mascots at the elementary schools, and then they're Hornets when they come to the middle school and high school?' They felt it'd be important when elementary-age kids come to events to have Hornet apparel and look up to older kids as mentors."