First day back inaugurates school
Students become the finishing touch at the new middle school
Students arriving early to school enjoyed a quick breakfast with new options from Taher Inc.— food service management company. Press photo by Amie Johansen
The commons area of the new middle school was well used Monday morning as students stopped to socialize before the opening assembly.
Principal Rick Gabel walks with students down the long hallway toward the competition gymnasium where the morning assembly was held.
Five eighth graders sit under the tree house in the Charles City Middle School. The five young ladies took in their new surroundings as they waited for the back to school assembly. Pictured from left Brooke White, Erica Gilson, Jacquelyn Rutherford, Emma Roney and in front, Megan White.
Middle School science teacher Julie Holub made great use of her selfie stick at the first day back to school Monday morning.
By Amie Johansen | amie@charlescitypress.com
The first day of school is exciting for many students. For one particular age group, there was an added element of curiosity to their excitement: the middle schoolers.
Yesterday marked the first day middle school students could out their new classrooms. Middle School Principal Rick Gabel stood in the center of the competition gym and invited the students to look around at the new brand building. He asked them to remember their first tours of the building during the last school year. Students quickly agreed it looked much different now.
“Do you know what we just did?” Gabel asked the bleachers full of students. “We just made the building a school.”
Gabel told the students by their walking into the brand new building, ready to learn, they transformed the structure from a mere building to a school.
“It took a lot a of different people (to create this school),” Gabel told the students.
He then encouraged the students to help keep it looking great and to thank those who have worked so hard over the past year to make the new building possible.
Gabel then spoke to the students about beginning their year in the new building.Typically at the beginning of the school year, one grade level in each building would be introduced to brand new surroundings. This year, the fifth through eighth grade classes, along with their teachers, would be getting acclimated together, with no one of greater experience to show them the ropes.
As part of Gabel’s opening speech, he asked the students to remember their teachers were in a brand new place as well. He urged the students to work together with their new teachers as they explored the new building.
After the younger grade levels were escorted out of the gym to their new classrooms, Gabel challenged the seventh grade class to “step it up.” He asked them to think about ways they will go above and beyond this school year.
Lastly, Gabel addressed the eighth grade class. He referred to them as “veteran middle school students.” Younger students will be looking to the eighth grade class as role models.
“Leadership,” Gabel said. “How are you going to set the stage?”
Middle school students weren’t the only ones receiving a first-day-of-school-pep-talk. Before heading out to recess at Washington Elementary school, Guidance Counselor Sandy Thomson worked with the classes to discuss how to be a good friend on the playground. They also talked about what it meant to be a Comet: citizenship, responsibility, effort and respect.
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