2009-2010 School Year

Begins At The Bus

 

By Eliza Hallabeck & Kendra Bobowick

“What’s in your backpack? An elephant?” joked Brian Ochs Wednesday morning.

“No!” said Benjamin, laughing at his dad’s question. What was in his pack? “Snack,” he said. With a prompt from his mom Jennifer, he thought a bit more about what he was taking to school. “Milk money … folders.” A pen or pencil? Not yet, said Ms Ochs. He would be returning home with something more colorful and done with crayons.

Kicking at the grass and trying on the weight of his new backpack, he and his sister Anna — not yet old enough for school — waited for Benjamin’s bus. Brian Ochs had his camera in hand and asked his son, “Are you ready?” “Yeah,” said Benjamin. At 8:30 Wednesday morning, he would soon board a bus taking him to kindergarten.

Soon joining them at one of several stops along Great Ring Road were twins Liam and Nate Jones, dressed alike in Boston Red Sox sweatshirts and heading off to the fourth grade. The brothers dropped their packs, unzipping them to show off rows of notebooks with fresh pages waiting for assignments.

Tugging at the straps of his own, lighter pack, Benjamin said, “The packs look really heavy …” His father replied, “Older kids have lots of books.”

Also arriving at the stop were twins Eli and Hanna Holmes, entering the third grade, who pulled along new packs. Wedged between folders and notebooks still free of students’ graffiti of phone numbers, names, hearts, and colored shapes, Hanna had a pack of new erasers peeking out in pinks and green. Around her neck hung shiny baubles of butterflies and ladybugs. Taking off his cap for a better view, Eli thought about his new, school-year routine. “I woke up at 6 am — too early! We still had like two hours before the bus.” Now almost 8:45 am, the groups would soon be going to school.

Glancing toward the street at the sound of distant truck engines, parents’ and children’s anticipation grew. Deborah and Dan Holmes did a last-minute check: did everyone have lunch money, enough supplies? Ms Ochs held her daughter in one arm and wrapped a free hand around her son. With a kiss on the top of his head and a last squeeze, Benjamin wiggled free and in line with his friends, made the few steps up onto the bus. Before running down the aisle, he stopped to wave, happy to go to school. Parents shouted encouragement, waved and offered thumbs up as the bus drove away.

Throughout town Wednesday morning parents stood beside their children — many with new clothes and school supplies — heads turned to look for the bus.

At staggered times during the morning, streams of students arrived at Newtown schools. Some holding hands, others either looking for a familiar face or trying to fit in with the bustle pushing toward a school entrance, students soon found their classrooms and the 2009-2010 school year began.

Earlier in the morning, Transportation Director Tony DiLonardo waited at Reed Intermediate as 36 buses dropped fifth and sixth grade students off for their first day of classes. He was joined by Assistant Principal Anthony Salvatore, multiple faculty and staff, Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson, and Principal Sharon Epple as students stepped off buses and found their way to begin their day.

“Sixth? Fifth? Sixth, oh you know where you are going,” Dr Epple said to two students who smiled and continued toward one of the back entrances of the school. For Dr Epple this was her first school day as principal of Reed Intermediate.

Just a few feet away, Dr Salvatore ushered fifth grade students into straight lines to wait for guidance through the school to the cafetorium where they would be given an introduction to their new school.

A few hours into the new school year at Middle Gate Elementary School, Principal Judith Liestman said she had walked her way around the building, as she does every year, and the school was filled with smiles as students began to know one another.

“It is just fun to see them and they are all together,” said Ms Liestman. “It is good to be back.”

In each classroom teachers had worked hard to be prepared for the students’ arrival on Wednesday, Ms Liestman said. Middle Gate’s walls and doors were also brighter than usual, she said, thanks to new coats of paint and special attention from Director of Facilities Gino Faiella. PTA members, she added, had also worked to make the first day of the school year special. Just the day before a picnic was held at Dickinson Memorial Park by the PTA to welcome students back. (See related story.)

Other school officials around the district expressed anticipation for the first day of school as it approached. On Tuesday, September 1, Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson said across the district, “We are ready to go.”

“We’re entering the school year with a new level of excitement, because we are implementing our strategic plan,” Dr Robinson said.

At Hawley Elementary School, Principal Jo-Ann Peters said she is confident the new school year will be wonderful.

“I’m excited to start the new school year,” Ms Peters said. “The teachers and staff have been working hard to prepare for the new year.”

At Newtown Middle School, Principal Diane Sherlock said on Tuesday, the faculty and staff were ready and waiting for the for the first day of school.

“We’re excited,” said Ms Sherlock, “we’re ready, and we have all worked hard over the summer to be prepared for when the students arrive.”

Principal Charles Dumais at Newtown High School, where the NHS expansion project has been underway all summer, said everything at the school is in order.

“We are excited about the direction Newtown High School is moving,” said Mr Dumais about each area of the educational environment at the school. This will also be the second school year that Mr Dumais will be highlighting happenings at the school on his blog, www.dumais.us/newtown/blog.