First day full of mixed emotions for Kindergarteners
Published 9:58 pm Monday, August 7, 2017
- Mike and Amy Hobbie give their daughter Aubrey well wishes on her first day of school.
As Kindergarten teachers welcomed first-time students to Meadowview Elementary School, they were greeted with smiles and quite a few tears from children and parents alike.
“It’s different every year. You never know what you’re going to get, but you always have to remember that they are 5-year-old children, and we’re going to have a great year regardless of how the first day started,” said Katie Godbold, who has been teaching for 22 years.
Selma City Schools, Dallas County Schools, Meadowview Christian School and Ellwood Christian Academy all started back to school Monday.
For the last few years, the number of students in a kindergarten class at Meadowview Elementary has been from 18 to 23.
Donna Williams dropped her daughter Carsyn Collins off in Godbold’s class, but Collins wasn’t too ready to see her mom go. Tears were shed as she said goodbye, but Williams managed to hold it together.
“She had me about to cry,” Williams said. “I’m excited but nervous at the same time. She’s grown up on me.”
Williams said this was her first time having to drop a child off at Kindergarten, and it wasn’t easy.
“It was an experience,” Williams said. “It’s our first time over here at this school so I’m just looking forward to what she’s going to learn and experience in the years to come.”
Tameka Myles wipes away tears for her daughter Taylor Rogers on the first day of Kindergarten at Meadowview Elementary School.
Another new face at the elementary school is that of Concetta Burton, the school’s new principal. Although she has been with the Selma City School System for some years, this is her first year at Meadowview.
“I’m very excited,” Burton said. “We’ve been out there working since the latter part of July. We’ve been painting and just trying to make it look inviting.”
Burton said smiling faces and nervous walks to the classroom are signs of a good school year.
“All of that makes the recipe for a very exciting school year,” Burton said. “That’s why we’re trying to make it look inviting to kind of soothe some of that anxiety.”
Godbold said the first day of class could be nerve-racking, but it’s also fun for her to get to know the boys and girls she’ll be spending the year teaching.
“It really is exciting as a teacher to get to meet all of the new kids and new faces and to watch them and remember what they were like on the first day of school, and to see them on the last of school and watch how much they mature and grow,” Godbold said.
