Area schools return for new year

PAMPLICO-- Monday, August 17, was the beginning of a new school year for most area schools. Teachers returned to work a week early to get everything ready for their students so that the first day of school would go as smoothly as possible. Soon, the empty halls of summer echoed with the chatter of a new school year. Old friendships were rekindled and new ones were made as students returned for another year of learning and making memories. Even the teachers were excited about returning to school and seeing all of the students again. Some schools sported new faces among the faculty as well as the students. Hannah-Pamplico High School has acquired several new teachers this year. Brad Drawdy and Micah Freeman will be teaching Math at the school this year while Arlene Graham will teach business Education. Matthew Vassallo will take over as Social Studies teacher and Kathryn Quick has taken the position as a first grade teacher at Hannah-Pamplico Elementary- Middle School. Second grade has acquired Susan Allen as a new teacher this year. Lianna Watson has joined the Resource Department at HPEMS. Ellen Phillips has joined the Raider team as the new Speech-Language Pathologist.

"I'm very excited about meeting all the new children," said Ellen Phillips. "I feel that communication is the key to so much in life. I want to make sure that everyone has access to everything in life." Phillips urged her students to get ready for a new year of challenges and excitement. "Watching their progress is always exciting for me."

Despite the wet weather on Wednesday, Johnsonville teachers returned to work with a determination to have their classrooms bright and inviting for the first students on Monday. "I can hardly wait to try some of the new science inquiry lessons that I've learned over the summer," said 3rd grade teacher at JES, Mirandi Squires. "I urge my students to come ready to learn and ready for an adventure." Squires and long time friend and 2nd grade teacher, Ninita Brown, were both excited about the new school year and agreed that a positive attitude makes a big difference.

New Prospect Christian School teachers and staff have spent the past week getting ready for the new school year as well. Some of the teachers even came in several weeks ago to get started on their classrooms, so as not to be overwhelmed during the week before the first day of school. New Prospect welcomed back their former students and was glad to add several new faces to the Mustang family this year. The teachers put a lot of hours into getting ready. It's more than just putting up a few bulletin boards and making a few copies, there were teacher’s meetings and parent/ teacher meetings. Student’s books have to be counted and separated. Lesson plans have to be made. Copies of this, that, and the other thing have to be made for each student to take home on the first day, desks have to be cleaned and moved, schedules of every kind have to be made, copied and distributed, class schedules, lunch schedules, sports schedules and bus schedules.
"It's hard to believe that it's August already," said many parents, students, and teachers alike. "It seems like we just got out of school and here it is time to go back."