Students return to School Wednesday
T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM — Students of Marshalltown High School walk through the doors on the first day of school on Wednesday. New and returning students were greeted by Principal Jacque Wyant and staff to help answer questions regarding class schedules and locations.
Students from Rogers Elementary exit the building into the overwhelming heat on Wednesday after the first day of the 2023-24 school year.
Harmony Laws, Gavin Robinson and Alivia Beebe make sure their brand new school supplies are in the proper locations. All three are students in Michele Kluver’s Franklin Elementary fourth grade classroom.
Franklin Elementary fourth grade teacher Michele Kluver helps her students organize their school supplies during the first day of school. She told them the importance of the organization now as they would begin math and literacy today.
Students in Tonja Brott’s Franklin Elementary kindergarten class take their seats on the floor for the first time on Wednesday and listen to their new teacher explain the daily schedule they can expect.
Emma Scarsbrook, Axel Hernandez-Tober and Gavin McFarland take their seats on the floor for the first time in Tonja Brott’s kindergarten class in Franklin Elementary on Wednesday. After all the students were seated on their designated locations, Brott explained the daily schedule they can expect.
T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM — Students of Marshalltown High School walk through the doors on the first day of school on Wednesday. New and returning students were greeted by Principal Jacque Wyant and staff to help answer questions regarding class schedules and locations.
Students from Rogers Elementary exit the building into the overwhelming heat on Wednesday after the first day of the 2023-24 school year.
Harmony Laws, Gavin Robinson and Alivia Beebe make sure their brand new school supplies are in the proper locations. All three are students in Michele Kluver’s Franklin Elementary fourth grade classroom.
Franklin Elementary fourth grade teacher Michele Kluver helps her students organize their school supplies during the first day of school. She told them the importance of the organization now as they would begin math and literacy today.
Students in Tonja Brott’s Franklin Elementary kindergarten class take their seats on the floor for the first time on Wednesday and listen to their new teacher explain the daily schedule they can expect.
Emma Scarsbrook, Axel Hernandez-Tober and Gavin McFarland take their seats on the floor for the first time in Tonja Brott’s kindergarten class in Franklin Elementary on Wednesday. After all the students were seated on their designated locations, Brott explained the daily schedule they can expect.
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Hallways and classrooms were empty of youthful feet for three months until yesterday when the first day of school for Marshalltown Community School District came and went.
Marshalltown High School Principal Jacque Wyant waited at the main entry for the large crowd of high schoolers to pour through. Staff with two small tables were set up at the entry for students who were unsure of their class schedule and where exactly to go.
Since MHS has a rotating schedule -- A and B -- Wyant broke down how the first day of school would play out for students. Wednesday was an "A" day.
"Students will have their first class and teachers will spend time going over expectations and getting to know students," she said. "In homeroom, they will start to learn about the student handbook and board policies. Each day for the next four days there will be a separate class meeting during that homeroom time. Then the second block, they will take lunch. The third block is a 90-minute block. Then they have a 'skinny,' which is 45 minutes or seventh period. Generally they have four classes per day. Some of our students started at 7:30 this morning, so their 'skinny' was first thing in the morning. Then tomorrow we repeat but with a separate set of classes on a 'B' day."
This was Wyant's 33rd first day of school, and it felt as great as the previous 32.
"I always look forward to this day because staff and students come back very hopeful for a new school year and opportunities," she said.
Wyant said some of the opportunities include activities, such as esports and girls wrestling, which were added last year. She added the number of students involved in high school activities significantly increased in the 2022-23 school year.
"It was exciting to see 50 percent of our students were involved in something at school, which research shows increases engagements and attendance and opportunities to increase student achievement," she said.
Students were varied in their excitement to begin the new school year. Freshman Gaston Feras did not feel any because he was already bored. Junior Isabel Martinez was overwhelmed by the first day because of the large number of new people.
"My plan for this year is just to pass with good grades," she said.
Junior Rhayne Morales said it was good to be back in school.
"It was nice seeing my old friends again and getting back into a routine," she said.
Franklin Elementary Principal Tim Holmgren said the first day usually comes with nervous excitement for kids and staff.
"The big push is to make sure we get the kids welcomed, get them in, try to get them to start routines and set expectations of what we're looking for for a good year," he said.
As fourth grader Alivia Beebe sorted her new supplies in Michele Kluver's class, she said she was excited for the first day.
"I have a nice teacher," she said.
The first day of school usually brings heavy traffic, Holmgren said. Some parents are excited and others nervous.
"A lot of parents like to walk their kids up, especially if they are younger," he said. "We greet them, welcome them and allow them to walk in with their children. We have little ones who don't want to leave Mom's side and older kids who are excited and ready to go. The best part for me is always seeing the fourth graders come to school for their last year at Franklin, knowing they started with us in preschool."
Holmgren said students will be greeted by new teacher faces and an upgraded sensory hall with fresh paint and additional wall textures.
"It is situated now so we can bring kids down if we need to, or bring them up if we need to," he said. "A paraeducator partnered with an OT [occupational therapist] from the AEA [Area Education Agency], so we are very excited to see how that works out for the kids."
Holmgren said he hoped everyone has a safe and healthy 2023-24 school year.
Unfortunately the first day of school also came with scorching heat reaching 101 degrees. However, school for Marshalltown was not called off early. Classes at East Marshall were released two hours early, and that schedule is maintained through the rest of the week. The GMG Community School District also scheduled an early out for today, as did Marshalltown Community College, which closed at 3 p.m.
At presstime, Gladbrook-Reinbeck had already preemptively canceled classes for Thursday due to the heat.
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.