ORANGE PARK— The first day of school at Ridgeview Elementary saw students, like rockstars, greeted with cheerleaders, balloons and loud popular music.
The students funneled into classrooms …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continueDon't have an ID?Print subscribersIf you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one. Non-subscribersClick here to see your options for subscribing. Single day passYou also have the option of purchasing 24 hours of access, for $1.00. Click here to purchase a single day pass. |
ORANGE PARK— The first day of school at Ridgeview Elementary saw students, like rockstars, greeted with cheerleaders, balloons and loud popular music.
The students funneled into classrooms figuring out where to go and saying goodbye to parents. A group of school district board members and district administration went classroom to classroom Wednesday morning.
Elementary school is all about fundamentals. Students need to learn how to sit still, get in line and how to speak up without interrupting. Useful things for later in life. Teacher Claire Scott does this for her kindergartners.
With a practice called “five-star listening,” she moves them from their desks to the front of the classrooms with cues. They are going to get used to it.
About 15 minutes later, teacher Christy Simmons was reading a “Pete the Cat” book. She stops mid-story to ask the students questions. The walls of her classroom are adorned with placards to remember numbers, spelling and to treat others with kindness.
Superintendent David Broskie said a traditional start to a school year is what employees deserved after the past few years, which demonstrated their resiliency.
"We are excited to welcome back almost 40,000 students to a new school year today,” he said. “(Employees) have been working hard over the summer and during pre-planning to launch the new school year.”
As for Ridgeview, the Title I school’s full capacity is about 600 students. Principal Heather Roche is in her fifth year as principal and 21st year overall in public education.
Roche said her team was optimistic for the school year and her main goals are keeping students safe, 90% attendance, academic achievement and building relationships.
“We’re looking forward to developing strong family and community relationships,” Roche said. “We have a lot of new teachers, so there’s a focus on climate and culture and building a strong team.”
The school still has heightened sanitation measures leftover from COVID-19, but Roche said this school year does offer a chance at normalcy. The balloons, cheerleaders and music are part of a weekly event the school aims to welcome students with each Friday.
“Our goal is to make Ridgeview Elementary a place students want to come to learn,” Roche said. “It is a return to normalcy. We want to give children what we would describe as a normal education experience.”
In Donna Ganas’ first grade class, she jokes she’ll know all first names by the end of the day. She gives students numbers and most of them memorize it early on. Ganas pauses and says she has something to show those on the classroom tour.
“Good morning Mrs. Ganas!” the students belted in unison.
At the end of the tour, most students were in classrooms except for a few stragglers, quiet after the hectic drop-off period. The school year concludes on May 26.