There are some adages in the English language that are completely ingrained in our culture that we are practically born knowing them:
“The early bird gets the worm…”
Or…
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained…”
As students and teachers prepare to enjoy their first weekend after returning for the 2023 - 2024 school year, they’re likely subscribing to a new motto:
“There ain’t no tired like ‘the first week of school tired’…”
Having completed a successful first three days of studies, rules and procedures have been established and students and faculty alike seem to be finding their routine.
“We had a few hiccups as everyone got used to the drop off and dismissal procedures at the start of the week, but we’ve already put plans in place to avoid that in the future,” Superintendent Jill Bottelberghe said. “There are some areas that we are still working on streamlining, but I would say that this has been a phenomenally successful start of the year.”
As the 2,220 students of Connally ISD made their return to campus on August 9, they were greeted by a set of teachers and staff members who had spent weeks anxiously awaiting their arrival.
“We had some really purposeful professional development as we prepared for our students to return,” first grade teacher Carli Barton said. “Learning about things like conscious discipline or our new behavior management system really set us up to have a phenomenal first week of school. This is going to be a great year.”
While every student had to work to get back into the swing of the school day, students entering 1st, 6th, and 9th grades have the added challenge of getting adapted to a new campus. That stress can be a little overwhelming.
“We definitely had some students who were overwhelmed and anxious about entering such a large building,” primary school assistant principal Taylor Lange said. “Our faculty and staff have worked to place a strong emphasis on the fact that we are all a big giant family in this building. We’ve seen a lot of growth in our students’ confidence between the first day of school and today.”
Once things got settled, students were able to take an opportunity to relax and reconnect with their teachers and friends. Some used this time to make adjustments to their class schedules.
“The high school counseling staff has spent the entire summer working to build a Master Schedule that works for all of our students,” high school counselor Andrea Clifton said. “We are trying our very best to accommodate all of the ones that are making changes as the year gets started. As we approach the schedule change deadline (August 15), we are confident that our kids will land right where they need to be.”
As the school week progressed, students gained greater confidence in their ability to navigate the school year.
“I was nervous on the first day of school because I didn’t really know who my teachers were and what they would be like,” seventh grade student Shemar Young said. “Even though I was scared, I hopped on the bus and came on in. I got encouraged as I moved through every class. I learned that I have what it takes to do this.”
Under this year’s Instructional Calendar adopted by the school board, students will only have to attend classes every other Friday at the most. That schedule goes into effect in September, but teachers are doing all that they can to use the days they have before that point to set the correct routines and rules.
“We are making sure that we do all that we can to set the appropriate classroom standards and procedures,” first year band director Raymundo De La Cruz said. “This gives us an opportunity to make all of the changes that we need to make and help get our students prepared for success in the long run.”
While the end of summer vacation might break a few hearts, the abundance of opportunities for excitement and fun that the school year brings leaves students feeling hopeful for a great year.
“As we’ve gotten the year started, I’ve become more and more excited,” high school junior Alejandro Lujan said. “Things are going great in ROTC, I can’t wait to audition for our musical, and the PALs are already doing some great things. Everyone should head to the doctor to get tested for Cadet Fever, because it’s CONTAGIOUS.”