Throughout Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties on Monday, thousands of children returned to school for the first day of the 2013-14 academic year.
LENOIR COUNTY
At La Grange Elementary School, students and teachers settled into their classrooms as the new year began.
Principal Kristie Brennan said there were around 600 students at the school and that more were registering that day.
Brent Williams, director of operations for Lenoir County Schools, made a stop at La Grange Elementary School and was pleased with how the first day had been going around the county.
“It’s been a very exciting and good day,” Williams said. “Nothing can be better.”
For some students, like Nadeia Cannon, 5, it was their first experience in a classroom. Nadeia said she was looking forward to going outside later in the day.
The five kindergarten classes walked around the school attempting to find Pete the Cat, the central character in Eric Litwin’s children’s book. Their search led them to the computer lab where teacher Janice Johnson was waiting with a clue.
Johnson said that an air of excitement was the overall feeling throughout the school.
Justin Cobb, 9, expressed enthusiasm to be beginning the new year.
“It feels like an honor to be in fourth grade,” Justin said.
GREENE COUNTY
Some students have transitioned from a modular campus to the new Greene County Middle School.
Students attended the makeshift campus the past two years after their school was destroyed by a hurricane in 2011.
The school also has a new principal, Norman McDuffie, who came to the temporary campus in November.
“Actually, it was exciting,” he said about the first day in the rebuilt school. “Seeing the buses and the kids coming up, it kind of gives you that rush of adrenaline.”
The school has the same floor plan, except for a 10-foot addition to the gym to allow for the bleachers to fully open. But there is now air conditioning in the gym, a science lab and a full-sized library, McDuffie said.
“All we had was just a couple of bookcases,” he said about the library at the mobile campus.
McDuffie said he’s been working on the new vision statement for the school — “to be mastery learners and globally productive citizens.”
Eighth-grader Taylor Williams, 13, talked about her hopes of advancing to the old middle school after attending West Greene Elementary School.
“I was kind of disappointed,” she said, “because my mom used to work here, and I was looking forward to being in the old middle school. But, I never got the chance to go there.”
Instead, she attended the mobile campus, which has now been torn down and carried away.
Williams said she likes the new school and having lockers, which the original school didn’t have.
“I saw the elevator in the cafeteria,” she said, “and I thought, ‘whoa, that wasn’t there before.’ I thought that was kind of cool.”
McDuffie said the “elevator” is actually a lift for handicapped individuals to be able to get up on the stage.
It’s the second year since Greene County Intermediate School has been open, across the street from the middle school.
Jada Mumford was promoted from assistant principal to principal this year.
“I thought it was great,” she said about the morning’s traffic on Monday. “I would have to say it was because of the staff.”
School employees were helping students and moved to wherever they were needed, Mumford said.
She said the curriculum is going through a revision process and discussions are ongoing about the new standard-based report cards. New this year at West Greene, their use will be transitioned into the intermediate school next year.
“(The new report cards are) focused on what the students need to improve on. They very specific,” she said.
A LEED-certified school, the intermediate has seen a savings in water use, Energy Specialist Scott Corbin said.
“We’re using almost two-thirds less water than West Greene Elementary was using,” he said about a three-month period earlier this year that was analyzed.
In the first six months, a comparison could not be made because the utility systems were being adjusted, Corbin said.
Greene County Schools Superintendent Patrick Miller said the utility bills, district-wide, were cut by 22 percent, compared with the previous year.
Two fifth-grade students discussed how their first day of school went.
“It’s really good,” Gabby Gay, 10, said. “I already know both my teachers.”
Her teachers happened to be friends she knew previously.
Andrew Fraboni, 10, said the traffic wasn’t bad Monday morning.
“We come in the back way,” he said. “There’s nothing but tractors and dogs.”
JONES COUNTY
Comfort Elementary School began its year-long emphasis on integrating the arts into the school’s curriculum.
Principal Jo-Anne Stone said she believes the program is going to make the students excited and motivated.
In addition, both students and teachers of the tight-knit school were happy to see each other. Comfort Elementary School only has 155 students.
“Everyone was ready to see their friends and get back in the swing of things,” Lauren Baker, a second grade teacher said.
Many teachers and staff throughout the three counties and all over the state wore red at the encouragement of the North Carolina Association of Educators. The move is designed to show solidarity among teachers in the face of budget cuts that took place over the summer.
Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @nclark763. Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MargaretFishr.