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It’s not every day when you get to feel like a princess, but at least it is on school days for Dylan Benker, 8, a third-grader at the Green Meadow Elementary School in Maynard, when she steps off the bus and onto a red carpet rolled out in front of her and her friends.

“Really,” she said, beaming a bright smile, “I feel like I’m royal, like a pop star or something. I once saw the Queen of England get out of a carriage and walk on a red carpet, but it was only a TV show.”

Dylan and her Green Meadow classmates get the royal treatment each morning in front of the school, courtesy of teacher Mike Mehigan, who says he volunteered for the red carpet roll-out because he wanted the students to get their day started in a positive way.

“Every student deserves the red carpet treatment,” Mehigan said, “and I want to be as excited and welcoming as I can be so they feel as special and important as they are.”

Smiles in the morning

Mehigan is every bit of that, greeting each boy and girl with a hearty, “Good morning, happy Tuesday, have a great day,” along with a hand shake or high-five and occasionally both.

“It [the red carpet] makes my day,” said Bree Venis, 8. “It puts a smile on my face when I get greeted like that and then I share high-fives with others. It’s really kind to say good morning and stuff like that.”

Caden Graham, 9, is more of a hand-shaker than a high-fiver. That might be because he envisions a career as a goalie in the NHL and doesn’t want to risk an early injury, or maybe because he just likes shaking hands.

At any rate, Caden confirms that the warm greeting and red carpet puts him in a good frame of mind.

“Everybody’s smiling,” he said. “It’s a great way to start the day.”

The big smiles and bright eyes of the pre-K to third-grade youngsters attending Green Meadow confirms that sentiment as they bounce through the school doors.

An emphasis on values

While Mehigan runs the red carpet, Mary Beth Shea, principal of Leadership and Operations at Green Meadow, kicks things off inside by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance each day with a different group of students. The pledge is broadcast over the school’s loudspeaker system and then the students chime in with a message to reinforce several of the school’s core values: “We are kind, we are safe, we are learners.”

And so the day begins.

“The entire staff at Green Meadow strives to create a warm, welcoming environment for all our students and families,” said Shea.

The entire school, she said, has been reading Jon Gordon’s book, “The Energy Bus,” which focuses on the power of positive energy. In a few weeks, the school staff will be putting on a play that showcases the book’s values.

“When we show love and kindness to others it becomes contagious,” Shea added. “Greeting each other with smiles and high-fives is one way we help each other fuel up with positive energy.”

Harvesting happiness

Anthony Sacco, 8, says gym and math are what he enjoys most about school.

“Once, when I was younger,” he admitted, “I had the chance to be in a TV commercial.” He wasn’t chosen for the commercial and although not completely over that disappointment, he says these days he just likes to run around and especially enjoys division.

“It makes me think good thoughts and helps me to feel happy for the day,” he said of the red carpet treatment.

Haley Carroll, 9, didn’t arrive by bus, but that didn’t prevent her from sharing in the morning festivities as she joined Mehigan in greeting classmates who do.

“It’s nice to see the other students before they go inside,” Haley said. “Sometimes you can tell when someone isn’t happy, and then you give them a high-five and a good morning and pretty soon they’re smiling.”