First day joy, jitters

View larger image Kayser Elementary School students are walked to waiting buses after the first day of class in Warren County on Monday. Dennis Grundman/Daily Recommend This Print This Get E-mail News Alerts Buy Photos/Page Reprints View larger image Pupils board buses in front of Leslie Fox Keyser Elementary School in Front Royal after the first day of school Monday. Dennis Grundman/Daily

Warren County pupils, teachers welcome start of new year

By Joe Beck -- jbeck@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL -- Anxiety and optimism ran high among pupils and their families Monday morning at Leslie Fox Keyser Elementary School, which marked the first day of classes along with the rest of Warren County Public Schools.

Teachers and staff welcomed pupils with hugs and high fives as they stepped off buses and vans. A few youngsters frowning with uncertainty over where to find their teacher received directions and comforting words from the red-shirted adults gathered on the sidewalks. One inconsolable lad was escorted inside sobbing and wailing like a tiny firetruck. The teary outburst notwithstanding, most of the arriving pupils appeared to be taking the first day of classes in stride.

Natalyia Self crouched on the sidewalk, looked her second-grade son Alexander in the eyes and shook his hand. Then she sent him off toward the school doors with the foot-high letters spelling "Welcome" taped above them.

Before leaving for school, the two of them had posed for a picture taken by her grandmother. She had no trouble motivating him to leave summer vacation behind. He asked her to put the alarm clock close to his bed to make sure he was up on time, Self said.

"My son is very excited to go back to school, to see his buddies in class," she said.
Tabitha Bradley said she was going to miss the good times she spent this summer vacationing in upstate New York and going to baseball games with her fourth-grade son Ryan, and pre-schooler Kyle.

"I wish we could have had another month of vacation. I'd rather have them with me," Bradley said.

Assistant principal Jerry Rosperich said he noticed more pupils coming to school on buses this year. He attributed the change to higher gas prices discouraging some of the 25 percent to 30 percent of adults who bring their children to school in family vehicles in better economic times. The school received 13 buses, two county cars transporting special-needs children and five day-care vans, he said.

"I think it's gone pretty well," Rosperich said as the last of the pupils walked through the doors. "The first day is always a little crazy."

Teachers said they were looking forward to trying out new iPads with flash-card and other school-oriented applications.

Third-grade teacher Cary Poe said she was excited about a new classroom management technique she is going to try in her class this year. Her plan, borrowed from an education blog she reads, uses a system that balances rewards for good behavior with penalties for the bad. Past practices have tended to put too much emphasis on threats and punishment, Poe said.

"We're pretty sure it's going to work well," Poe said, adding she hopes the new system can be used throughout the school if it proves successful for third- graders this year.
School district officials reported 537 pupils enrolled at Leslie Fox Keyser at the end of the school day, an increase over 522 recorded at the same time last year. Overall district enrollment stood at 5,172 Monday afternoon, 19 less than last year's 5,153 opening-day figure.

"It was a good day," said Pamela M. McInnis, superintendent of schools. "Teachers are teaching and children are learning."