Fairland West hosts open house for third through fifth graders to preview the upcoming school year

Parents and students lined up outside Fairland West Elementary on Monday, waiting on the chance to get a preview of the coming school year.

The school, which serves third through fifth grade, hosted an open house event, which allowed the children to meet their teachers, get supplies, see their classrooms and see where their desks would be, third grade teacher Chris Dennis said.
Classes start back today at the school.

“It feels good,” third grade teacher Kim Carrico said of the return, noting that not much has changed, as far polices from the previous school year.

This year, all students will be there in person, a return from remote learning that was offered as an option last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Masks are optional, except when riding the bus,” Dennis said.

Principal Teresa Johnson said the school has 363 students this year.

“And they’ll all be face to face this year,” she said.

Of those students, the school has five classes of third graders.

“And they are seeing the building for the first time today,” assistant principal Sandy Joseph said.

Similar events had been canceled at Ironton, South Point, Dawson-Bryant and Chesapeake for the week.