Shepardson Elementary staff literally rolled out the red carpet for the first day of school on Thursday, lining up on either side and giving high fives to arriving students.
The red carpet was on a strip of asphalt between the school and the playground, where dozens of children played and met up with classmates they hadn’t seen since the last day of school in May. Parents chatted with their children’s teachers and each other, took photos and said goodbye.
“The red carpet is incredible,” said Signe Revielle, who rode her bike to school with her second and fourth graders. “We had friends over this morning to have coffee, take pictures and eat doughnuts. This is a really nice thing that Shepardson does to welcome its students and create an exciting morning.”
Parents and their children lined up in front of the stone sign reading “Shepardson STEM Elementary” to have their picture taken. Below it was a digital message saying “Welcome back, Shepardson Stars!” For the real newbies, there was a small sign provided by school staff to hold up while taking pictures. The sign read “First day of kindergarten: 08/15/2024.”
One of those kindergarteners, Carter Eichlin, proudly showed off his new mohawk, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles backpack, and his favorite shirt, an orange CSU Rams t-shirt.
“We got a new haircut, new shoes; we went through the whole program and are now ready to start a full school year at a new school,” said his mother, Lindsey Eichlin.
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More than 29,000 students were expected in Poudre School District schools this year, with most starting the 2024-25 school year on Thursday. Sixth and ninth graders across the district returned Wednesday, allowing them to spend a day getting to know their teachers and administrators and getting settled into their new middle and high schools without the older students. Thompson and Windsor-Severance school districts followed the same schedule, with new students starting school on Wednesday and the rest returning on Thursday.
At Shepardson Elementary School and many other elementary schools in the district, school staff welcomed students Wednesday evening so they could meet their teachers and fill their desks with school supplies, said Principal Wayne Thornes.
This helped to alleviate some of the nervousness and fear of the students and their parents.
“We’re really looking forward to it,” said Anna Gerber, mother of kindergartener Drew Gerber-Chaulk. “We’re looking forward to making new friends, going to school in our neighborhood and learning lots of new things.”
“We were here last night to drop off supplies and she was already playing on the playground. Communication with the school has been really good and we are happy to be here.”
The sidewalks along Springwood Drive were lined for several blocks on both sides of the school with families making their way to Shepardson a good 30 minutes before school started at 9:05 a.m. School crossing guards, including physical education teacher Shari Lemesany and assistant principal Laura Sutton, led a steady stream of students, siblings in strollers and parents across the street in front of the school, holding up their “Stop” signs.
When the first school buses arrived at 8:45 a.m., there was a carnival-like atmosphere outside the school. For at least eight years, the red carpet has greeted students, said Revielle’s oldest son, now in seventh grade at Boltz Middle School, in kindergarten. The tradition began under former principal Alissa Poduska, said Thornes, who was assistant principal at Shepardson for five years before becoming principal five years ago.
“We want it to be part of our culture,” Thornes said. “We want it to be a welcoming place, an exciting place. We want families and kids to be excited from day one.”
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Most students were already in their classrooms when the last school bus arrived. Inside were not only students, but also Brian Kingsley, the superintendent of the Poudre School District. He high-fived students as they got off, spoke with some school staff and then posed for photos with the bus driver, Thornes and Kristen Draper, the chair of the PSD school board.
Kingsley had taken the school bus to Bacon Elementary, where classes start early, before making his rounds with Shepardson students. He was then headed to Linton Elementary, where he was scheduled to participate in another first-day-of-school celebration, said Emily Shockley, PSD communications coordinator.
Draper had arrived long in advance to watch the activity, chat with parents, students and staff, and otherwise enjoy the energy and excitement of the start of the new school year.
“It’s beautiful, it’s fantastic,” Draper said. “The welcome the children have received from all the teachers and staff has been just incredible. It just made you smile. What a way to be welcomed back to school.”
Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at [email protected], x.com/KellyLyell And facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.
