Crowded Bus Stop Signals Start Of School Wednesday

By Kendra Bobowick

& Eliza Hallabeck

About to leave summer’s toys behind, clusters of children in town stood fidgeting, laughing, or hanging onto mom Wednesday morning while they waited for the bus to arrive. Aside from afternoon kindergarteners, students entering the public schools for the first time through high school seniors were likely finding their classrooms. Before parents finished the mugs of coffee they had carried to the bus stop, teachers were taking attendance — DJ? Sarah? Grace? Jillian?

At an Underhill Road bus stop Jeaneia Vaiuso peddled along on a tricycle, enjoying her last few minutes at play before beginning kindergarten this year. She and her brother Joshua, who is entering first grade, glanced up the road at the sound of passing cars. Was that the bus?

Ashley Pliskin had dressed in a Giants football team jersey for her first day in the second grade — eager to show off her favorite team. Her mom Alex Schmitt hugged her close before sending Ashley back to class this year.

Proud of her new book bag, Grace O’Connell also shared the Underhill Road stop and soon got in line as the bus pulled to the curb.

Showing signs of a serious student she could become, Sara Snellman unzipped her brand new backpack to double check her pens and notebooks as the school bus rounded the corner a few yards away.

Appropriately, a few early autumn leaves fell as Newtown’s bus drivers stopped at homes and street corners throughout town this week. Some eager and others reluctant, students gripped the rails and squeeze their backpacks past the bus’s folding doors on August 27 and settled in for their ride to school.

Students Meet             Their Teachers

As buses pulled up to Middle Gate School, kindergarten teachers waited outside to meet their new students. The students were lined up, and told to wait for other students to be dropped off by the buses. The first half of kindergarteners at Middle Gate School met their teachers on August 27, and the second half attended school for the first time on August 28. On Friday the students will be in school together.

Three lines of students watched their fellow classmates and older students as they came off the buses, found their teachers or walked through the doors of the school to find their classrooms. There were few tears, but some parents were there to see their student’s first day of school begin.

Newtown                     Middle School

Students at Newtown Middle School seemed have their eyes glued shut on Wednesday morning as they stepped off their morning bus for the first time during the school year. Some students walked quicker than others, but all of them seemed to know exactly where they were going. A few teachers met the students outside, and the buses moved quickly through the parking lot. After a quick line up of buses, few later runs and many students, the first day of school began at Newtown Middle School.