UCPS Superintendent Dr . Andrew Houlihan visits with students at Piedmont Middle School on the first day of school .
Piedmont Middle School sixth grader Karsyn Callahan sat quietly in her math class , happy that the first day of school had , thus far , gone very smoothly .
When the new UCPS Superintendent Dr . Andrew Houlihan , walked into her classroom to introduce himself , however , she admits she was a little anxious about meeting him .
“ I was kind of nervous to meet him , but I was happy that he came in to tell us who he was ,” Karsyn said . “ I think he ’ s going to do a great job because he just seems like that kind of person . He seems very serious and really intelligent .”
Piedmont Middle was one of 10 schools Dr . Houlihan visited on the first day of school , introducing himself to staff and students , and wishing them a great start to the 2016-17 school year . He also had lunch with students at Monroe High School .
Dr . Houlihan said he was very impressed with what he witnessed district wide . “ Any time you have the first day of school , you anticipate some issues , but it ’ s been a great first day . I ’ m super proud of our teachers . I ’ m very proud of our students for being there . The schools that I ’ ve been to have been phenomenal .
“ Students have been into learning on day one , which is exactly what we would expect ,” he said . “ Kudos and a big shout-out to our teachers , principals , staff and our parents for a great first day .”
Piedmont Middle School Principal Dr . Tracy Strickland was not surprised that the first day went well , with both students and teachers excited to be back .
“ The beauty of being in a school like this , students expect it to go well because
Superintendent : ‘ UCPS has phenomenal start to school year ’
Rea View Elementary Principal Jennifer Hoover speaks with students during her rounds on the first day of school .
their parents are familiar with the school . Some of their parents attended here as students and their siblings were also here . They walk into the school already in love with Piedmont Middle School ,” Dr .
Strickland said .
At Weddington Elementary School , Hector Hernandez and his wife , Claudia , walked their daughter , Isabella Hernandez , to the media center where other kindergarten students had gathered .
“ I ’ m a little weepy , but we ’ re excited ,” Claudia said . “ I ’ ve been up since 3:45 am because I was so afraid I would oversleep and not get her to school on time for her first day . I was waking her up much earlier than she ’ s used to , but she was excited so as soon as I went in her room , she got up and got ready to go .”
One of the main areas of focus on the first day of school for Weddington Elementary Principal Kristen Sebek , was transportation .
“ We ’ ve grown so much over the summer that we have a lot of new routes so the bus drivers are going to a lot of new roads ,” she said . “ There is a plan in place to help all the drivers know where all the students go .”
Like other UCPS principals , Rea View Elementary Principal Jennifer Hoover , walked the halls of her school , visiting classrooms to give students her “ welcome back ” message .
She was very pleased to hear her teachers already talking to students about the “ power of yet ,” a new initiative at the school that teaches students it ’ s okay if they don ’ t succeed the first time , and to view failure as “ not yet ” succeeding .
“ It ’ s okay not to get things the first time . Failure is how we learn ,” Hoover said . “ Students will take these life skills with them . As they have challenges through life , as learners and even as adults . It ’ s okay if something doesn ’ t go well that first time . Keep trying , even if it is hard .”
Getting it right the first time , however , is exactly what UCPS schools can boast of today , as Principal Sebek ’ s experience seemed to mirror that of other UCPS principals who have welcomed back a total of approximately 42,000 students . — This article was provided by the Union County Public Schools Communications Office .
Come join the Yarn Crawl ... September 23 - October 1
Come sit and knit or crochet with us Tuesday nights from 5-8 .
Get Your YARN CRAWL Passports Here !
FUN , NEW CLASSES STARTING
THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6th . Check our website for class descriptions and dates .
Don ’ t know how to Knit or Crochet - We can teach you ! NEW YARN • NEW PATTERNS • NEW KNIT & CROCHET CLASSES ! www . tanglesonmain . com Hours : Mon 10-5 • Tue 10-8 • Wed - Fri 10-5 • Sat 10-4
Parent Teacher News • Sept / Oct 2016 • 11