Updated as of Aug. 30 at 12:44 a.m. to include video.
Stepping off buses, hopping out of cars, waving from the doorway. Students said goodbye to parents and hello to a new school year. Aug. 29 was the first day of school for everyone in the Alamance-Burlington School System.
At Haw River Elementary Monday morning, Principal Curry Bryan unlocked the doors at 7 a.m.
He greeted students with high fives and hugs, called them by name and flashed a smile. The hallways were busy with faculty directing students and teachers welcoming new faces.
Outside, Adriana Melendez said goodbye to her two sons. She said she is hopeful for what is predicted to be a year of complete in-person learning, but she is also anxious. Melendez said she works the night shift at Honda, so she liked seeing her kids during the day over the summer.
“They’ve been around constantly. Every day, all day. And now it’s back to the routine,” Melendez said.
Her fifth grader, Zaire, said he is excited to be back in school, where he likes to learn math and practice reading. He knows there may be classmates who are nervous about the first day but said if he sees a classmate who is feeling anxious, he plans on being a friend.
“Just say it’s gonna be OK, and just give them a hug,” he said.
Across the courtyard, Stephanie Mayfield dropped off her two sons. She said her morning was busy getting Logan and Noah out the door.
“A whole lot of butterflies. They're so excited. My son when we pulled up here, he was like, ‘Mommy, I’m really nervous. My heart is beating really fast.’ I was like, ‘It’s OK. It’s your first day back,’” Mayfield said.
Students aren’t the only ones starting anew today. Dain Butler is also starting his first school day as the new superintendent of ABSS.
He walked the halls of Haw River Elementary this morning and noticed high spirits.
“I feel very excited. I feel very good about what we have in place to start out with. Lots of smiling faces so far. Lots of positive energy,” Butler said.
Butler and a few school board members visited more than a dozen ABSS schools today. The goal was to get a pulse on schools as the new year begins.
Many families, school faculty and district staff are concerned about school safety, especially heightened by recent gun violence in schools. In response to this, the Board of Education ruled to put one permanent school resource officer in each ABSS school.
“It’s not the only answer to what we are facing in terms of our threat of gun violence in schools, but I think it’s a good first step. I think SRO’s are also going to try their best to get to know our kids and build that relationship,” Butler said.
Mayfield said she trusts Haw River to keep her kids safe.
“They keep you informed with everything. They let you know every single thing you need to know and what goes on with your children,” Mayfield said. “I trust the school. It’s a great school — hasn’t let me down yet.”
Mayfield also trusts the school to help her sons make up for learning loss during the pandemic.
“They didn’t really get the proper attention that they needed,” Mayfield said. “So I know them coming back in person, they would actually absolutely get the proper learning that they needed.”
Individualized attention means plenty of qualified teachers. But, there are teacher shortages in districts across the county, and ABSS is no exception. The district is offering recruitment bonuses for new hires in order to get new faces in the door.
“It’s competitive. We have to do our best to find ways to offer the best teaching services we can and to build that environment that makes them want to be here,” Butler said.
Teacher shortages trickle down to families like the Melendez’s, whose students feel the effects on a personal level.
“Of course I hope they excel. The last couple of years have been weird because of COVID and everything. And they haven’t really been focused like they should be. So I’m hoping this year brings some focus,” Melendez said.
Butler said he is focused on filling teacher vacancies and helping students catch up.
“Any time that you don’t have a certified staff member in front of kids, it’s going to hurt. That’s the value of a certified teacher, right? So we’re aware about that. Long term, we’ve to do something to reignite this profession,” he said.
He said he hopes to do this by creating an environment that is teacher centered and teacher supported. He hopes this will make ABSS stand out.
“One day at a time,” Butler said. “It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be tough. But we’re ready.”
As Butler gets ready for the year ahead, so do ABSS parents. Melendez had advice for her kids when she dropped them off.
“I’ve been telling them that it’s a new year, so they start with a clean slate. So we are going to see how it goes,” she said.
As Mayfield was shuffling her boys out the door this morning, she too had words of wisdom.
“I told them to think positive, try their hardest, don’t be scared to ask questions if you don’t understand something,” Mayfield said.
As the first bell of the school year rang, students sat down to new desks, and parents settled into new routines.
“They’re excited to be back,” Mayfield said. “So I’m expecting for us to have a great year.”