Education Glade Valley headline 

Excitement and Rapt Attention Mark First Day

sungFrederick County Public Schools (FCPS) opened all 66 schools on schedule today, the first day of the 2015-2016 school year. With nearly 30,000 students eligible to ride buses, FCPS drivers all reported safe travels this morning. Transportation Director Fred Punturiero was pleased with a 97 percent on-time bus arrival rate. He said there are always some delays as bus drivers and students meet and make adjustments the first few weeks of school. He expects all will soon settle in to comfortable routines. Meanwhile, FCPS invites parents to check the following webpage for a list of buses running later than 10 minutes:  http://www.fcps.org/busdelay.

Superintendent Dr. Terry Alban started her day at Walkersville High School. There, students in Mrs. Sung’s English class were reading messages from former students and sharing why a particular quote each selected “spoke” to them. She spoke with Seniors Treeva Gibson and Annie Marker, who are excited to be taking the dual-enrollment college-level English 101, a Frederick Community College credit course offered at their high school. Annie said that knowing she would get college credit made the course a nice fit for her. She expects the class will prepare her for the rigor of college courses she will take after graduation.

Next, in Mr. Widmeyer’s geometry class, Dr. Alban saw students exploring their “Google Classroom” technology before she headed over to join BOE officers Brad Young and Katie Groth for a first-day flag-raising ceremony at Walkersville Elementary. The school’s custodian, “Mr. Tony,” welcomed students and got lots of smiles in return before the ceremony, during which student and teacher voices rang out in singing You’re a Grand Old Flag.

@FCPSMDSuper
@FCPSMDSuper

At Walkersville Middle, Mr. Wetzel asked 7th grade students to analyze pictures to find a common theme. Students in the FCPS SUCCESS transition-education program gathered with staff for team-building activities to start the school year. Dr. Alban’s next stop was Glade Elementary, where she saw Ms. Young’s 4th grade students putting pieces of a puzzle together in a lesson to demonstrate we’re all connected.

Across the county, stories were similar, with student excitement quickly turning to rapt attention, on task and making it a great first day of school, said FCPS Communications Director Michael Doerrer.

Behind the scenes staff worked to keep students energized and on the move.  Food and Nutrition Services offered some of students’ favorite meal choices: a chicken biscuit or French toast slices for breakfast, and lunch options including locally grown watermelon among vegetables, milk and grain-and-protein choices. FCPS has launched new menu-viewing software called Nutrislice that shows menus in English and Spanish and even provides a carb count: Frederick.nutrislice.com.

At Frederick High School there is a new traffic and parking pattern, as the foundation is under construction through the coming weeks for the new building. The school mailed a map home with student schedules this summer.

Asked to name their best experience the first day of school, a Sabillasville kindergartner said, “My favorite thing so far was playing outside on the cool playground with my new friends.” A peer at Carroll Manor liked the ‘yummy snack.”

A first grader at Kemptown Elementary said his favorite was trying to get a penny out of an ice cube because “you had to keep working even when your hands were really cold, and it was fun working with some new people.”

A Carroll Manor fifth grader said, “My teacher is very intelligent and explains what is happening. All the teachers are kind.” Another said, “The science experiments were a blast!”

A Windsor Knolls Middle student exclaimed, “No homework!”

At Urbana High, a 9th grade student said, “Freedom!” and a 12th grade student said, “Being an upperclassman.”

Linganore High senior Keegan Lane noted, “Our teachers were well prepared. They gave us a warm greeting, and we already had a lab in AP biology.”

New Midway/Woodsboro Elementary Principal Giuseppe DiMonte said, “I love the newness, energy, enthusiasm, and smiling faces. There is so much hope and excitement that you can feel it!”

Principal Randy Perrell at Middletown Elementary heard a 3rd grade student, who made the switch from second grade at Middletown Primary, say that he likes his new teacher and how “everyone in the school is so nice to each other.”

At Whittier Elementary, Principal Amy Schwiegerath encouraged students to embrace leadership:  “Everyone is a leader at Whittier. Part of being a leader is growing as students. You might make a mistake, “ she said, “but it’s what you do after your mistake that is so important. That’s your learning opportunity.”

Frederick High School student Jada Smith said, “Today went by fast!”

“Students and teachers were excited to be back to work on the first day,” Doerrer concluded. “The first day is a great opportunity to set the tone for academic success throughout the year, and that’s what we saw today in all of our schools across the county.”

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