The Monroe County Community School Corporation started another school year today, and students and staff said they are excited to be back.
Over 40 city and school officials, along with community members, gathered at Fairview Elementary School to greet kids as they arrived, cheering for them and giving them high-fives.
Dhakir Abdullah is on the Commission on the Status of Black Males that hosted the Annual Million Father March event, which is part of a nationwide initiative organized by Fathers Incorporated. He said it’s important for kids to see friendly faces and get support from the community as they return to school.
“Seeing smiling faces reflected back at them, maybe help them lose some of the trepidation that comes during a new time and a new experience,” he said.
Abdullah said he hopes kids feel encouraged by being surrounded by role models from different backgrounds.
“Them seeing a multi-generational, multi-ethnic community, various people from various gender backgrounds and things like that, so they can see themselves represented in the people that are here,” he said, “and then be able to feel a sense of togetherness, but also a sense of support.”
MCCSC Superintendent Markay Winston said her focus this year is on keeping students safe and helping them grow academically.
At the July board meeting, MCCSC announced there will be a new K-8 English Language Arts curriculum and a new Year 2 of K-8 math curriculum. There will be a new system of support called Accelerate 7, which is focused on improving student outcomes where the need is greatest. There will also be more registered behavior therapists in schools and more time for teachers to collaborate.
“We're strengthening our literacy, our numeracy skills,” she said. “We're continuing to emphasize the arts, and we just want to make sure that our students are having a lot of fun while they're learning, and that we're putting all kinds of supports in place for behavior and mental health across all of our schools.”
Winston said amid state cuts to education, referendums have helped support the programs that parents want for their kids. Mayor Kerry Thomson said during this time of adjustment to cuts, it’s important for the community to not only support students but educators too.
“Our educators are the only stability some of our kids have,” Thomson said, “and so part of building a thriving community where everyone's welcome starts at school and starts with building that school community where you're safe to learn and you get fed at school and you can learn all of those vital life skills as well as the formal education.”
While enrollment numbers aren’t finalized, Winston expects about 10,000 kids in pre-K through 12th grade to attend MCCSC schools this year.
