With perfectly baggy pants and shirts intentionally ruffled and
untucked, more than 11,000 students across the county faced a new
school year Monday.
Despite early mornings and homework, some students were glad to
be back to the daily grind.
With perfectly baggy pants and shirts intentionally ruffled and untucked, more than 11,000 students across the county faced a new school year Monday.
Despite early mornings and homework, some students were glad to be back to the daily grind.
“It’s exciting (because) you get to see all your friends again,” said Andrea Figone, an eighth-grader at Rancho San Justo Middle School. “I’m not looking forward to all the homework again.”
Figone said she intentionally arrived at school early.
“We want to be with all our friends before school starts to say hi,” she said.
San Benito High School sophomore Sara Ownbey also dreads the homework, but will be glad to be around teen-agers again.
“(Back to school) means seeing old friends and making new friends,” Ownbey said. “I’m looking forward to getting better grades this year.”
Teachers and administrators said returning to school offers a time to start over again.
“It’s always such an exciting time for us as educators,” said Cindy Cordova, principal of Rancho San Justo Middle School. “It’s a fresh start. It’s a promise of a great new year.”
SBHS math teacher Dennis DeWall echoed Cordova’s feelings, even though he admitted the summer goes “way too fast.”
“There’s a lot of excitement (on the first day of school). A lot of positive anticipation,” he said. “I’m optimistic about having a good year.”
With state test scores recently released, teachers and administrators were eager to continue the progress students have made. DeWall was ecstatic about how well students did on the state content standards in Algebra II.
While students, parents and teachers transition into a new school year, some schools will experience a transition to new leadership. SBHS has a new interim principal in Duane Morgan. Four schools in the Hollister School District will have new principals at the beginning of next week. Taking over reigns this week are Debrah Bennett-Hall at Cerra Vista School and Melinda Scott at Sunnyslope School. Cordova starts a new job in Pajaro on Monday with R.O. Hardin Principal Donald Knapp taking over as Rancho’s principal. Linda Smith will fill R.O. Hardin’s principalship. Michael Fox takes over as teacher/principal at the one-room Jefferson School in Paicines.
Back to school can also be special for parents who watch their children take on a new challenge or start a new chapter in their lives. Some parents also like to walk their children to school on the first day. Lori Bettencourt walked onto Rancho San Justo Middle School campus with her sixth-grade daughter Lavelle.
“I think it’s important to walk them to school and see where they’re going. You can see who they’re hanging out with,” Bettencourt said. “Back to school is getting in the groove of things, getting back into a routine (which is good for kids).”
Lavelle was one of 70 sixth-graders at Ladd Lane School who were moved to Rancho San Justo Middle School or Marguerite Maze Middle School last week because of a State Education Code violation. Sixth-graders at Ladd Lane were receiving 50 less minutes of instructional time than middle school sixth-graders in the district. The state education code states instructional time must be equal across each grade level. Bettencourt said she wasn’t as upset as some parents about the switch.
“I’m OK with it. At first, I was shocked because of the late notice, but there’s a lot more for kids to do here at Rancho than at Ladd Lane,” she said.
To help ease traffic congestion, drivers should avoid streets around schools from 7:15-8:45 a.m. and between 2:15-3:45 p.m., depending on when the school starts and ends.
