Ready for school
MPS holds open-house events before classes start
Photo by Deb Gau Jonathan Dah got some pointers on how to open a combination lock during the Marshall Middle School open house on Monday morning.
Photo by Deb Gau Lexi Anderson said hello to her first grade teacher, during Monday's open house at Park Side Elementary.
Photo by Deb Gau Staff in the commons at Southview Elementary were ready to get students and families set up for the new school year.
Photo by Deb Gau Ethan Borth got to meet his teacher, Danielle Felcyn, and pick out his desk at Southview Elementary on Monday.
Photo by Deb Gau Jonathan Dah got some pointers on how to open a combination lock during the Marshall Middle School open house on Monday morning.
Photo by Deb Gau Lexi Anderson said hello to her first grade teacher, during Monday's open house at Park Side Elementary.
Photo by Deb Gau Staff in the commons at Southview Elementary were ready to get students and families set up for the new school year.
Photo by Deb Gau Ethan Borth got to meet his teacher, Danielle Felcyn, and pick out his desk at Southview Elementary on Monday.
Trending
MARSHALL -- Marshall's public schools were bustling on Monday - and classes hadn't even started yet. Kids and families were getting ready for the beginning of school by checking out the buildings, meeting teachers, going over bus routes and more.
At Marshall Middle School, Grayson Schueller had found his locker, and opened the combination lock on his first try. Schueller said he was looking forward to playing in the school band this year.
"I like seeing my friends," Elliana Brockberg said of going back to school.
Brockberg posed at a backdrop set up for back-to-school photos for kids at Southview Elementary.
In past years, MPS had staggered the first day of school for different grade levels, to help allow for student assessment days at the start of the year. The way the calendar worked out this year, it made more sense to do assessments and have an open-house day right before classes started on Sept. 1, Williams said.
On Monday, MPS faculty and staff were ready to welcome families to the schools, and show them around. Teachers said the traffic at Southview Elementary and Marshall Middle School was pretty steady on Monday morning, with families coming and going. At Park Side Elementary, families of first grade students signed up to meet their teachers one-on-one. Kids also found their desks and unpacked their school supplies.
Southview Elementary Principal Peter Thor said it helped for students to get familiar with where their classrooms and lockers were.
"Students are excited. They're finding their lockers, and meeting their teachers," said Marshall Middle School Principal Peggy Reynolds. Families also had a chance to get school lunch accounts set up, and check out information on school activities.
Reynolds and middle school teachers like Nadine Weedman said having an open house was something that worked especially well for fifth-grade students just starting middle school. There were a lot of changes middle schoolers needed to navigate, like figuring out class schedules and learning how to use lockers with combinations.
It was exciting to be at the start of a new year, Weedman said.
"We love having students back in the building," she said.