Like generations of boys and girls before them, students race up the steps at Mountain View Elementary for their first day of school on Wednesday. David F. Rooney photo
By David F. Rooney
After two and a half months of freedom in the summer sun, it was back to school on a rain-swept morning for the city’s 1,000 school children.
“It’s good weather for ducks,” quipped Arrow Heights Elementary School teacher Neil Russell.
AHE Principal Todd Hicks kept with that same theme, saying “The one thing about weather like this is that it means summer is over and the kids are generally ready to come back to school.”
And ready they were. District 19 Superintendent Anne Cooper noted, after visiting all of the schools in the city Wednesday morning, that “everything was running as smoothly as you could expect” and all the children seemed to be in pretty good spirits.
But you can judge for yourself if that’s true with this whirlwind visual visit to the city’s five schools.
The 2009-2010 school year gets under way on Wednesday. At Columbia Park Elementary School that meant a Mug ‘N’ Muffin mixer for teachers and parents followed by a short address by principal Shan Jorgenson-Adam. David F. Rooney photoLike her counterparts at the city’s other schools Jorgenson-Adam had an encouraging smile for all the students in the Revelstoke system. David F. Rooney photoSonia Gagne tells a story to the Grade One students in her Kindergarten/Grade One class. David F. Rooney photoMarie Light introduces students to the concept of “username” and “password” in the digital media lab at Revelstoke Secondary School. David F. Rooney photoRSS Shop teacher Mike Howard checks his class list to make sure he’s got the right kids before letting them pass through the doors of his little kingdom. David F. Rooney photo“Welcome to high school,” intones RSS Shop Taacher Mike Howard to a new crop of Grade Eights. “We don’t eat paste and crayons in here.” David F. Rooney photoAhhh! Recess! A boys hurls himself along the zipline at the Mount Begbie playground. David F. Rooney photoDoes this guy need a raise or what? Mount Begbie Teacher Ian Stitchbury drew smiles and a few laughs with his broken umbrella. David F. Rooney photoMount Begbie Principal Bob Wilson rallies his troops and sends them back to class as recess draws to a close. David F. Rooney photoAlan Polster attaches a name label to his stepson Sam Larsen’s shirt on the boy’s first day as a student in Linda Dickson’s Kindergarten class at Mount Begbie. David F. Rooney photoMount Begbie’s Jill Leslie had everything under control in her Grade Three class. Heck they were even raising their hands politely when they wanted attention. David F. Rooney photoThere’s a cut-up in every class, even Sue Leach’s Grade Three/Four at Arrow Heights. David F. Rooney photoGrade Two/Three teacher Wendy Mulligan made her kids feel snug and warm on Wednesday morning. David F. Rooney photoTake a camera into a classroom full of youngsters and someone’s bound to start preening. David F. Rooney photoThe denizens of the back row in Laurel Russell’s Grade Five class at AHE decided they needed a better view so they perched on their desks. David F. Rooney photoGrade Six Teacher Diane Fujino shares a few of her likes and dislikes with her Grade Six class at Arrow Heights. David F. Rooney photoMichelle Gadbois’ Grade Seven students at AHE spent part of the morning getting to know each other better with a personalized guessing game. David F. Rooney photoDistrict 19 Superintendent Anne Cooper logs onto her computer after spending the morning touring the schools and ensuring everything was proceeding smoothly. David F. Rooney photoAnd finally, here’s a special image for YOU, all the adults who drive our busy streets. With the kids back in class school zone speeds are now back to 30 kmph from 8 am until 5 pm Monday through Friday. So please pay attention and SLOW DOWN! Thanks. David F. Rooney photo
