School's in: Opening day filled with excitement, expectations for teachers, too
Dan Ezekiel, a teacher at Forsythe Middle School in Ann Arbor, is starting his 29th year of teaching on Tuesday morning.
Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com
As the 1,162 Ann Arbor teachers welcome their new charges, the day is filled with excitement and possibility.
“Really and sincerely, everyone is an A student on the first day,” said Forsythe Middle School sixth grade science teacher Dan Ezekiel. “Any troubles are in the past. Everyone has their best foot forward.”
While it’s sad to see the summer end, it’s more exciting to see a new year begin, Satchwell said.
“You look forward to it. You get to meet new kids and try out new ideas. Everyone is at the starting line with the school year spread out in front of them.”
But it’s also important from an educational perspective.
“It’s the most important day for setting the climate for the school year,” said Shelly Brock, a fifth grade teacher at Eberwhite Elementary School.
“You want them to feel safe with each other and safe in the room so they know taking risks is OK.”
She has her students play cooperative, ice-breaking games that help them get to know each other and build community.
Brock, who begins her 20th year in the classroom, said opening day has special meaning at Eberwhite. Because most students walk to school, many parents tag along on the first day. They drop their students off in the classroom, chat with the teacher for a few minutes and have coffee with other parents in the auditorium. A short time later, everyone - teachers, students and parents - gather outside for opening day ceremonies.
“The kids sing and we raise the flag. It’s a really special day,” Brock said. The school year ends with the same ceremony.
On the first day, Ezekiel, starting his 29th year teaching, said he explains the ground rules for his classroom.
“There are two rules: Work hard and be nice,” he said. It’s important that students feel successful on opening day, Ezekiel said. He asks his students to write about themselves.
“I give them a list of questions about themselves. I do it so I get to know each student, but also because everyone knows the answers.”
It’s not only students who have opening day jitters, Ezekiel said.
“Most teachers probably don’t sleep all that well the night before,” he said. “You’re excited and you rack your brain, wondering if you’ve remembered everything.”
While students are out buying new supplies, teachers are busy setting up their classrooms. Some teachers begin the early August, while others wait until a few days before school opens, Brock said.
It’s a time to put up new bulletin boards, arrange the furniture and personalize the room for her new students. “Everyone gets a box of crayons, markers and colored pencils and I put their names on each box. It helps them to feel that they have a special spot right away.”
Opening day leaves an impact, Brock said.
“I have so many kids, who at the end of the year, remember the smallest details of that first day. That happens year after year. For them, it’s a really important day.”
And the other favorite school day for teachers? That would be the last day of school, Satchwell said.
Comments
Karen Yamada
Wed, Sep 7, 2011 : 4:34 p.m.
Update for 2nd day of School: There were 88 high school kids at the common bus stop to Logan. The first bus was early, filled up quickly before 7:00 and left early. The 2nd bus showed up at 7:05 on time thankfully. My question is: If AAPS Transportation sent a 2nd bus to pick up kids at Logan, why couldn't it pick up the 40+ high schoolers that live in Foxfire, Carrot Way and Dhu Varren on the Park instead? Actually, I think that with all the high school kids from Foxfire, Carrot Way, Dhu Varren on the Park and Arrowwood would easily fill 2 buses. Of the 33 kids waiting for the 2nd bus at Logan today, there were 26 kids from Foxfire. I am sure that the first bus from Logan took 20+ Foxfire kids. So I think this warrants at least 1 bus stop near Foxfire, not to mention the Carrot Way and Dhu Varren on the Park kids that could easily be picked up along the way. For purely safety reasons, no high schooler (and absolutely no elementary or middle school) student should be walking along Dhu Varren in the early morning hours at all.
jns131
Wed, Sep 7, 2011 : 10:31 p.m.
Welcome to the world of privatization, Ann Arbor style. This is what happens when you let go some great drivers and bring WISD into the mix. Can't to see what Trinity does to Plymouth Canton.
dogpaddle
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 7:06 p.m.
Don't blame AAPS for cutting jobs as they've had to deal with less money from the state year after year after year. If you want to blame someone, blame the current powers that be in Lansing. Better yet, recall them. Really, AAPS is doing the best they can in the face of a sad situation. Yes, perhaps they've made some mistakes along the way and certainly not everyone agrees with some of their decisions. But I wouldn't want to try to deal with their budget woes amidst public cries and complaints. I'm thankful there are those who are there and do what they do, for better or for worse.
jns131
Wed, Sep 7, 2011 : 2:38 p.m.
Lansing elected officials are planning on privatizing the teachers. Won't that be a kick in the pants if that happens.
cinnabar7071
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 4:07 p.m.
WOW! 3 students per seat? And I thought I had it bad having to walk almost a mile and half when I went to high school. Somebody needs to call child protective services.
djacks24
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 5:58 p.m.
Meant to throw that comment at Urban Sombraro in response to coming from A2 and moving to Saline.
djacks24
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 5:57 p.m.
That's exactly what I did. Though my school career went starting in the mid 1970s and ending in the late 80s. It was quite a culture shock moving from A2 to Saline. Saline was a very unforgiving place back then (especially if you hadn't been there all of your life) unless you were from Travis Pointe or were some gifted stand out athlete. Very segregated and "clicky". Even some of my teachers tried noticeably to fit in and be popular among the popular kids.
Ellen
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 5:32 p.m.
I'm even older than you! I rode my dinosaur to school, and if memory serves, we were 3 per seat. I was a lot skinnier then, however! ;)
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 4:14 p.m.
@Urban Sombrero: Should clarify: I went to A2 schools through 7th grade, then moved to Saline, where I graduated.
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 4:13 p.m.
I went to Saline school in the (ack!) late 80's and early 90's. 3 People per seat was status quo even then. Depending on the bus route, that was. I think it's probably normal. Why don't buses have seat belts? Even now? That's what I want to know.
Karen Yamada
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 2:47 p.m.
There were 101 high school kids at the common bus stop at Logan Elementary today. Luckily, one of the parents there called Transportation before the bus arrived and a 2nd bus pulled up about 5 minutes later. The extra 46 kids boarded that 2nd bus, which had another stop before heading over to Skyline. 20 students were at that stop. So another bus had to be called to pick up the additional kids. The maximum on a bus is 2 high schoolers per seat with max of 55, which is crowded with all their backpacks, sports equipment, and instruments. Please do not allow your kids to accept more than 55 kids crammed into a bus! I have heard many stories about how bus drivers suggest/ask/strong arm the kids to have more than 2 to a seat because there were too many kids at the stop. This common stop situation needs to re-examined sooner rather than later. It's a dangerous situation for all our kids!
jns131
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 11:36 p.m.
Unless you have a super bus, Ann Arbors buses can only hold 72. I know, I drove one of them with 70 on board. And that was the elementary children. Go figure.
Karen Yamada
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 8:01 p.m.
From my understanding, 55 per bus for middle and high schoolers is the limit for AAPS. All I'm saying is that they should follow their own guidelines. Overcrowding on a bus during any accident or sudden stop is just not safe. There aren't hand straps or poles in AAPS school buses for support like there is on public transportation in cities. The potentially dangerous situation is the myriad of road conditions that kids from kindergarten thru high school have to walk to a "common bus stop". Some kids are required to cross Washtenaw or Plymouth to get to a common bus stop. That just shouldn't be allowed.
thecompound
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 7:07 p.m.
BTW, according to aaps website it is 3 to a seat for elementary and 2 to a seat for middle school and high school students. The new bus change information is right next to a picture of our smiling $uperintendent.
thecompound
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 5:29 p.m.
The 3 per seat rule is kind of like airplane seats, decided/made when people were much smaller. Not saying it's right, just an observation.
Jonny Spirit
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 3:52 p.m.
State law says 77 students can be placed on a bus. Each bus is different due to the amount of seats, but law says 3 students to a seat. Crappy, I know.
kms
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 3:30 p.m.
101 Skyline kids at one stop? And the BOE wanted to eliminate transportation for high school students citing among other reasons, that not very many used buses to get to school anyway.
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 12:28 p.m.
Yay, back to school! If it wasn't socially unacceptable, I'd be cracking a bottle of wine open right about now to celebrate.
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 4:11 p.m.
@Ellen: take the day off! Or, otherwise, let's postpone for the weekend. Hahaha I've gotta admit....I may complain occasionally about this site, but I do love the commenters here. Agree/disagree, it doesn't matter. Ann Arbor people are cool. :)
Ellen
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 4:06 p.m.
I'm at work. Will you bring the party to me?
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 1:59 p.m.
Party at my house, then!
Charlie Brown's Ghost
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 1:31 p.m.
I don't see any problem with it. Unless the wine comes from a box.
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 1:10 p.m.
You rock.
Not from around here
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 12:47 p.m.
Go ahead, I'll never tell!
KJMClark
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : noon
I hope it goes well at school today, because the busing situation was a nightmare this morning. The Skyline pickup at Northside Elementary left half the kids standing there as the full bus took off. Supposedly they were going to send another bus. I just got back from the Arrowwood Hills stop for Clague. Our kids stood there as four buses, at least two of them heading to Clague, came and went. Our bus finally arrived, about twenty minutes late. I got some pictures of our kids waiting 15 minutes after their scheduled pickup. The poor AATA drivers kept stopping and taking off too, since our stop is at the AATA stop. And it was an impressive traffic backup when our bus finally got there. Folks coming southbound on Pontiac Trail had better learn to be more careful on that last blind hill. What a mess.
Rod Johnson
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 9:52 p.m.
The Skyline bus at Lakestone didn't show up at all, and the high school kids ended up on the Forsythe bus, which was not allowed to take them to Skyline. Honestly, this is only the latest in along, long list of administrative fails by Skyline. Worst run school ever.
L'chaim
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 1:47 p.m.
Sounds like a nightmare. Why would they designate the school bus stop at the AATA stop?! That makes no sense. We took our first-grader to school (at AA Open) but we'll start using the bus this afternoon.
jns131
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 10:28 a.m.
What is even sadder is the thought of the teachers who lost their jobs last year, the bus drivers who were laid off over a year ago and now bus drivers are no longer driving hi school children except from certain spots and others who won't be seeing these happy little faces heading back to school. So to put it bluntly, hi expectations for those who still have a job teaching and low expectations for those who are now searching. Wonder what else this year Ann Arbor is going to do to cut the teaching budget, custodians? Hate to say it, but they are next. This is the 2nd year of their contract that can now be hack and slashed. Balas and the board are safe from being laid off. Have a fun year everyone! Glad I am not there.