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Greenville’s K-8
opens to lots of smiling faces
By Bob Robinson
First day of school at Greenville’s long-awaited Elementary and Middle
School… grades 5-8 came in without a hitch. Lots of smiling faces.
Teachers and administrative staff, while concentrating on getting ready
for the next “Wave,” were still smiling at their new ‘digs.’
Greenville’s K-4 students were due to arrive any minute…
Buses arrived – right on schedule – students started piling out… lots
of smiling faces. “I love it,” said one. “It’s beautiful,” said
another. “I want to live here,” said yet another. Lots of “Wow!”
comments as students looked up and around. Most, but not all, had been
there earlier in the week, but it still seemed to be a new and great
experience for each.
The first day of school at Greenville Elementary and Middle School had
begun. In a way it was kind of anti-climactic. In addition to three
years of planning and construction, several weeks had gone into
preparing the new building and its staff for Jan. 12, 2017.
Teachers, volunteers and administrative staff were on hand to make sure
each student got to his or her class with a minimum of confusion. Both
elementary and middle grades had taken tours to learn locations and
routes to classrooms, but many still needed help.
Darke County Retired Teachers were given tours of specific areas so
they could help direct students the first day of school. Greenville
fire and police were on hand to provide direction and help where needed.
In August, Greenville Supt. Doug Fries and K-8 construction supervisors
took me on a tour. The few cosmetics that had been completed were
mostly in the 5-8 section. Earlier this year, however, Rhonda Schaar,
Principal for 5-6, took me on a tour while finishing touches were
finally being put into place. The change in just a few months was
dramatic.
We stopped at the “cafetorium”… four serving lines and dozens of tables
not yet in place… “We’ll be serving 1,700 students in two hours and 15
minutes,” she said. I volunteered in the lunchroom Friday. “Yup. They
did it.”
Have there been glitches? Sure… bringing nine grades into one building
when for decades they’d been in four buildings is not going to happen
without them. They will be worked out. The transition, at least in my
humble opinion, was done extremely well.
The first day of school (for us outsiders) wrapped up with a ribbon
cutting at 10 a.m. A public tour of the new facility is scheduled for
Sunday afternoon, Feb. 26.
Fries thanked staff, volunteers for their efforts, and the community
for its support. School Board President Fred Matix reiterated Fries’
comments, noting “none of this would have happened without the
community.”
Photos on Community Events Photo Gallery: K-4 open house for parents
and students, giving volunteers needed information for opening day,
opening day and ribbon cutting. See photo set HERE
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