DECATUR -- It is hard to believe that summer is almost over and the kids are back in school once again. Opening day of classes for the 2014-15 school year was Aug. 18 for most area districts.
For the Decatur School District, school opened a little early with an open house Aug. 14. Students and parents were given a chance to meet their teachers and pick up class schedules for the Aug. 18 start date.
At Northside Elementary, students and parents were greeted by new principal Cary Stamps, who replaced Jeff Gravette after Gravette took over as Decatur's superintendent in July.
With schedule in hand, students set out to find their classrooms and meet their teachers. The halls of Northside were filled with families looking for room numbers or just touring the facility.
There was one group noticeably missing from Northside this year, the sixth graders. When the school board decided to reopen Decatur Middle school, the sixth grade classes were moved from Northside and the seventh and eighth grades moved from the high school. With this move, parents of sixth graders had to brave the long lines at the high school to pick up their child's schedule. From the high school, parents and students made the short trek to the main entrance of Decatur Middle School. There John Unger, dean of student affairs, directed parents and students to one of three new classrooms.
When the new high school principal, Toby Conrad, opened the front doors at Decatur High School, a long line of students, some with parents, rushed in to pick up their schedules. At one point, the line stretched from the main entrance to the sidewalk that runs down the side of the building. Once they obtained their class assignments, friends gathered together to compare schedules.
"I've got Mr. James for math," shouted one student.
"I've got him too," shouted another.
"I've got Mr. Garner for AP English," one girl said to her friend.
It became apparent while watching the Northside Elementary, Decatur Middle and Decatur High students interact with one another that they are ready and eager to get back to the classroom. As for the faculty and staff, they are just as eager to share their knowledge in order to offer their students the best chance at a future and to fulfill dreams.
General News on 08/20/2014