A teacher helps guide a student to class at Mt. Comfort Elementary on the first day of school. Thursday, July 28, 2022.
HANCOCK COUNTY — With large posters in hand, members of the Mt. Comfort Elementary PTO held up signs with teachers’ faces on them, helping the younger students find their way. While many county youngsters are savoring the final days of summer break, students at Mt. Comfort Elementary School were up and at ‘em early Thursday morning.
Children stepped off of school buses and climbed out of family cars with loaded backpacks in tow and made their way inside with mostly smiles, accepting the inevitable — the first day of school.
All students were in their rooms and ready to roll by 7:52 a.m. That, Mt. Comfort Elementary principal Alissa Lockwood said, felt like a record.
“It feels great to be back,” she said.
Students and staff throughout the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation are the first in the county to head back to classes and kick off the 2022-23 school year while the other districts start classes next week. Greenfield-Central and Southern Hancock head back Tuesday, Aug. 2 while Eastern Hancock students will be the last in the county, going back on Wednesday, Aug. 3.
Lockwood and her staff have been in the building for several days prior to the start of the new school year, getting things ready for the students. She noted Thursday was one of the best first days they’ve had and credited her staff and the community.
“We had a lot of help from our PTO this morning to make sure that every student made it to the right classroom,” Lockwood said.
It was great, she said, to see how eager students were to get to class and reunite with their friends. School officials did everything they could to help students feel welcome and ease any worry they may have had about starting with a new teacher or heading back to school.
“Our staff did a great job greeting the kids with a warm smile and getting everyone where they needed to be,” she said.
Lockwood said it is always exciting to see returning students after the summer break.
“The kids seem to grow up so much over summer and return looking much older,” she said.
They also welcomed around 80 new first through fifth graders, and over 100 new kindergarten students.
“That makes this year even more exciting,” Lockwood said.
Mt. Vernon Superintendent Jack Parker said district officials are “exceptionally excited” to get the school year started as they welcome new staff and students to the Mt. Vernon family.
“Our district’s continued and manageable growth creates new opportunities as we work together to provide the best academic opportunities for all students to learn at high levels,” Parker said.
He noted Mt. Vernon has made incredible progress in their goals to return to pre-pandemic levels of learning and their staff continues to work on initiatives to help each student achieve success.
When asked about what it will be like heading into a school year for the first time in a couple of years where a pandemic is not hanging over everyone, Parker said they are moving forward and not looking back.
“We will use what we have learned to mitigate and manage any health issues, whether that be from the flu or other viruses,” he said. “The safety and health of our students is and will always be our top priority.”
District officials say this year should be a special one as they will continue work on their Future Growth Plan journey, which includes plans to open a new Fortville Elementary School in the fall of 2024.
When that happens, the current Fortville Elementary School building will become an Intermediate School, pulling the fifth grade out of elementary schools and the sixth grade out of the middle school, which will create additional capacity in those buildings to accommodate area growth.
Director of Community Relations Maria Bond said officials saw many smiling faces, hugs and “pure excitement” from both staff and students the first day.
“Our staff showed today how they are looking forward to getting to know each child and learning about their dreams, challenges, as well as their academic interests with the goal to help them succeed in life,” Bond said. “The day has been by and large a positive start to the school year.”
They even had a generous donor sponsor a free coffee and beverage for all Mt. Vernon staff at Beeline Beverages.
“We are off to a great start,” Bond said.
