The school year is in full swing as the Oglethorpe County School System welcomed back thousands of students for their first day of school on Aug. 8.
Teachers and administrators, including 21 new teachers, welcomed their students into the classrooms ready to teach.
“I can’t wait to meet them,” paraprofessional Jeremiah Stephens said on the first day at Oglethorpe County Primary School. “I can’t wait to see how they’re going to grow from here to the end of the school year.”
There were 2,214 students enrolled in the county, as of Aug. 9, Superintendent Beverley Levine said.
A scene of nervous and excited children walked into the OCPS ready to conquer their first day of school.
A second grader walked into the school excited “because we can learn stuff.”
“This school is amazing,” said Amanda Callaway, parent of a first and fifth grader. “I have no worries about their safety, how much their teachers love them. It’s phenomenal.”
Carlton resident Shuntia Jones felt nervous, but excited to see her daughter excel in first grade after being diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarten. She wants to see her daughter break out of her shell this school year.
“I love (the teachers),” Jones said. “They were everything last year. With the transition and getting ready to be here, they have been very helpful.”
Some parents Jeanne Jones have a simple goal for their students this year. Jones hopes that her children learn “to be a good person in our community.”
The primary school invited pre-K through second graders to the last first day of school that will be held in the building. The new Oglethorpe County Elementary School will open in January.
This school year will feature many new administrative updates, including the opportunity for students to have access to free breakfast and lunch, thanks to the Community Eligibility Provision.