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Bradley County students go back to school

By: Chloé Morrison
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Kim Fisher

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Black Fox Elementary School principal Kim Fisher said most everyone knows the feeling that comes as the first day of school approaches — summer is ending and the inevitable shift in schedule and focus is near.

“I tell you, the first day of school is just a very anxious day,” Ms. Fisher said.

For others, the anticipation is exciting.

“The kids just can’t wait to get their school year started and we are just as excited,” said Pam Coleman, Black Fox kindergarten teacher.

Bradley County’s first full day of school was Wednesday. Bledsoe County schools began Tuesday and schools in other area counties are preparing to go back. Cleveland City Schools start Tuesday.

Personality dictates how a person — adult or child — feels about the first day, officials said. Ms. Fisher said some children, even if they have never been to school, come in fearless. Others are shy and scared, she said.

Jolene Ballew, 6, said she was nervous about starting first grade because she is new to the system.

Eddie Cuniff, 6, said it wasn’t his “first” day technically, because he went to the school for kindergarten last year. But his initial day of first grade was “pretty good,” he said. He likes working with computers and going to gym class, he said.

Ms. Fisher remembers when she started first grade at Black Fox. Becoming principal brought a feeling of coming full circle, she said. It also makes her want to work hard to make each student comfortable.

“Sometimes I think we focus so much on academics that I think we forget that, for kids, the biggest deal in the whole world is, ‘Do I have a friend in class,’” she said.

In addition to planning for and calming first-day jitters, school officials said a lot of the planning for the first day back involves logistics of who goes where and when.

New Director of Schools Johnny McDaniel said the traffic congestion was new for him. As a principal, he said, he was always in and out of school before or after most of the traffic.

“It does take a couple of days to get back in sync,” he said of traffic dying down and everyone learning where to go.

As the school year gets under way, Ms. Fisher said she begins looking forward to the year’s happenings, such as the school’s fall festival and the accelerated reader program.

Teachers and administrators said one of their favorite things is reuniting with students after the 10-week break.

The building is a lonely place in summer, Ms. Fisher said. And she didn’t get into education to sit alone in an office, she added.

“Getting to see the kids — that is the big deal,” she said. “That is what you get out of bed for. That is what you come to work for.”

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