students in preschool through grade 12 began classes today.Under a near cloudless sky and temperatures that proved autumn is still two weeks away, more than 10,600 Vineland Public Schools students in preschool through grade 12 began classes today.
By all accounts, it was a relatively smooth opening day, with only some computer problems and the expected delays in bus arrivals as students and drivers coped with new routes and school start times.
“Today was an excellent beginning for the 2007 – 2008 academic year for the students of the Vineland Public Schools,” said Chalky Ottinger, Superintendent of Schools. “The students I saw seemed genuinely excited to be in school and teachers, staff and parents were all smiles. The sunshine and warm weather were also helpful in getting us off to a good start.”
Fifty-five new teachers were on duty this morning to greet the students.
At Vineland High School, it was also the first official day for Associate Principals Dorothy Burke, at VHS South, and Donna Meyers, at VHS North. Dr. Thomas McCann, Executive Principal for the high schools, is on a medical leave.
Some students at both high schools arrived in attire that violated the new dress code and were directed to the auditorium for in-school suspension. In some cases, parents brought in clothing that was appropriate to the new rules so the students could resume a normal schedule.
Students arriving at Veterans Memorial School were clearly in awe of the bright, sparkling building that was closed for more than a year for a $15 million remodeling project that has expanded the structure to more than 110,000 square feet.
The first day of school can be both an exciting and stressful occasion for children and parents alike, experts say. Exciting because it's a milestone, stressful because it means separation. In most families, it causes butterflies and even some tears. Some effort, by parents as well as children, can smooth the transition, according to the Society for Research in Child Development and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
School is just one of many new situations your child will have to face in life. But because small children don't come equipped with adult-size coping skills, it's up to you to help your child see change as a challenge.