Dawson-Bryant schools welcome students and teachers for start of year

DEERING — Children and families packed into Dawson-Bryant Elementary on Tuesday to get a preview of the academic year that starts on Thursday at the school.

Faculty hosted an open house, drawing about 700.

Angie Lafon, principal of the school of 530 students, said they conduct the event every year.

“We have a great turnout — about 700 people here tonight,” she said. “The students get to meet their teachers and see their classroom and they’re not as nervous on their first day.”

In addition to a tour of the classrooms, each student was given a ticket to take to the cafeteria, where they could make their own ice cream sundae.

“We do this every year,” Lafon said. “The PTO help and they always provide the ice cream.”
Lafon said there were no major changes to faculty this year at the school.

“It’s the same,” she said. “We’ve only had some movement internally.”

In Dustee Carpenter’s first grade classroom, incoming student Abbigail Storms was at a table, building with LEGOs, as her family talked to the teacher.

“She wanted to test out and play with the toys,” Carpenter said, adding that the event was good chance to introduce students to the room and get to know the parents.

Following the conclusion of the elementary school’s event, parents and students from all levels of the district’s schools went to the middle school, where the Meet the Hornets event took place on the football field.

Parents packed the bleachers as the Band of Pride took to the field.

Following this, each of the student athletes, cheerleaders, band members and others were introduced by the announcer and walked the filed.

Dawson-Bryant was not the only school hosting open house events on Tuesday. Burlington Elementary and Fairland schools also invited parents and students to their buildings to meet with teachers.

Fairland West assistant principal Sandy Joseph, whose school serves third through fifth grades, said the Back to School night always packs the cafeteria, where principal Teresa Johnson holds a general meeting with all of the parents.

“She goes over the important topics for their child, who is starting third grade,” Joseph said. “The parents of fourth and fifth graders also come out to meet the teachers. And our custodians have cleaned the school so that it is shiny and sparkling.”