August 26, 2020“Summer was so boring!” says Legacy student as campuses reopen for exciting first day of in-person learning (AZ)
Legacy students in Arizona arrived on campuses Monday morning with bright smiles and infectious excitement. The enthusiasm of returning families and staff members alike was palpable, as teachers began to welcome students and escort them to classrooms from Driveline.
Several students commented that they were thrilled to be back at school and have the chance to reconnect with their friends. Trembling, while walking to her class, one cute first-grader at Legacy-Gilbert said to her aide-escort, “I missed school so much!” A second grade student at Legacy-Chandler echoed those sentiments, saying, “I was excited when my dad woke me up this morning, summer was so boring!”
Everyone on campuses, from teachers, to aides, to health assistants, custodians and secretaries, all mobilized to provide students guidance and ensure they were taken care of on their first day.
To help brand new students feel welcome, staff at the entrance to the Chandler campus assisted students in creating handwritten name tags, which helped them to connect more easily with their teacher and fellow classmates.
Although this first day may have looked different for parents than it has in previous years, they were extremely supportive of new procedures, such as the ‘No Visitor’ policy on campus. Faculty remarked that they were particularly impressed with the parents of kindergartners who said goodbye to students from their cars.
Students adapted very quickly to new changes as well, as they arrived on campus with Disney and superhero-themed face coverings, and washed their hands thoroughly in classroom sinks throughout the day. Many students also brought their own hand sanitizer to class and asked teachers if they could wash their hands twice, once at the sink, and once with their sanitizer.
Nicole Kirkley, superintendent of Legacy Traditional Schools, remarked that families and teachers have shown incredible resilience and collaboration, in coming together to create a successful and safe first day of onsite learning. “This is a moment to celebrate,” Kirkley said. “Everyone coming together to keep our schools opened speaks volumes. So proud of everyone.”
The joy of students persisted even through the hot temperatures of afternoon Driveline, as they skipped and even ran to their parents cars at the end of the day, to tell them about their first day of school. Parents were also all-smiles as they rolled down their windows during pickup, to express gratitude to teachers and staff.
With such a smooth start to ushering in the school year, even amidst the challenges which face school communities today, Legacy campuses look forward to ensuring student success as the year progresses, and helping lay a foundation for students to ‘leave their legacy.’
Please watch the video below for some amazing highlights from the first day of school at the West Surprise campus.