Students and teachers return with enthusiasm

Director of Teaching and Learning C.T. Hussion revealed that after careful practice sessions, morning drop-off and bus traffic went off without a hitch; there was only a six-minute delay at the new Union County Elementary School, but otherwise, buses arrived on time.

Elementary School Principal Jerry Bavero has a hunch as to why that is and fully believes things will only continue to look up.

“Of course, today was the first day, so parents are helping the child out of the car, fixing their hair and getting those last kisses and taking pictures of the first day of school, so I don’t think we’ll see much of that going forward,” Bavero said, adding that the shuttle bus system was working exceptionally well.

And that’s saying nothing of the car rider situation – despite the known backups caused by the red light at the entrance of Shoe Factory Road, Hussion said drop-off was smooth sailing.

When it comes to picking up kids, though, there may be a bit of smoothing out to do. Car riders have a system where parents receive tags containing chips that alert a computer at the school when they arrive. Those tags each have a number, and students must listen for their name or number to be called when their ride arrives. The problem, Hussion said, arises when students can’t understand the voice over the intercom system from the gym.

This can result in some disruption to the flow of traffic; cars must pull over and have a staff member go inside to look for their child. Some teachers suggested using a bullhorn or loudspeaker to alleviate the issue, and Hussion believes it can be worked out in the next few weeks.

Coming and going to class aside, the day itself was well-received by students and teachers alike. Following the system’s – and community’s – investment in the new building, the Elementary School enjoyed a bustling first day back.

“Admin and the counselors got around to every class this morning to welcome them to second, third, fourth and fifth grade, introduce ourselves, let them know our names and our faces,” Bavero said, explaining that much of that first day in the new school was dedicated to showing the students around. “Everything has gone off without a hitch so far.”

Tessa Yarbrough’s fifth graders had no problems navigating the new school, and many were of the opinion that their teacher was “awesome” and “amazing.” She “can’t wait” for the year going forward.

“It is absolutely incredible; I am so thankful to get to hang out with the best fifth graders ever,” Yarbrough said, smiling at her students. “We’re loving it. Beautiful building, great facility and the layout is wonderful.”

Sherri Jones, meanwhile, came out of retirement to help cover for another teacher who is out on maternity leave. Jones said her students may have started out nervous since they were in a new school, but the kids were insistent that they had fun.

Jones prompted the group: “I think our favorite thing today was what?” A resounding cry of “P.E.” met her question.

“I’m getting back in the groove here,” Jones admitted, though she herself seemed to be having a great day. Her students hit the ground running by working hard, she said, filling out a math sheet and learning the rules of the classroom.

Meanwhile, Union County Middle School Principal Tammy Hughes said that UCMS had “a great first day,” and that teachers were as happy to see students again as students were to catch up with their friends.

“Of course, there were a lot of first day jitters, especially with our sixth graders, but it was so good to hear the halls echoing with the voices and laughter of our students,” Hughes said.

That said, Hughes echoed the sentiment of other administrators by saying there were a few wrinkles to work out in terms of traffic and scheduling. All in all, though, things went well across the board for Union County Schools.