Staff photo by Troy Stolt / A tardy student walks up to his classroom on the first day of school at Soddy Daisy high school on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021.By 7:15 a.m. Thursday, most students at Soddy-Daisy High School had made their way upstairs to start their first block classes as the sun shone brightly, giving one of the second-floor hallways an orange glow.
Some students arrived late, filing in from the student drop-off line, while others sat in clusters at circular tables in the common area – chatting, eating breakfast and waiting on schedule changes.
Across the region at Orchard Knob Middle School, the eighth-grade hall that was bustling with students just moments earlier was empty and quiet. Students in math teacher Jasmine Everett’s class were seated, pencils in hand, huddled over pieces of paper as they worked through a “five-minute multiplication frenzy” with hip-hop music softly playing in the background.
Down the hall, eighth grade English teacher Kelly Johnson conducted an icebreaker exercise that ended in a candy prize for the winning team before ushering students to their desks for an overview of classroom expectations.
“No. 1, we must respect each other at all times. OK? We have to – we’re together, we’re a team,” Johnson said, moving down her expectations list, which included reminders to stay seated until it’s time to move around and not to share items.