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Estrella Mendosa, 9, raises her hand during a Fourth-grade dual immersion class at Kings Beach Elementary School Wednesday morning. Tahoe Truckee Unified School District began class for the new school year Wednesday.
More than 4,000 students flooded Tahoe Truckee Unified School District hallways Wednesday with anticipation and excitement for the first day of the academic year.
“We’ve waited so long for this day to come, and now that it’s here, it makes it all the more real knowing we will be graduating soon,” said Jakki McGuigan, a senior at North Tahoe High School.
For McGuigan and her classmates, the 2008-09 school year will mark the culmination of their pre-college years, a period that represents both uncertainty and anxiety for the future, said fellow North Tahoe High senior Brit Johnson.
“It’s exciting, but kind of nerve-racking,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of pressure from college due dates.”
Johnson has yet to narrow down her university of choice, but for now, the varsity basketball player said she’s concentrating on her final season with the team and her unprecedented freedom as a high school senior.
“I’ve been playing with them since I was in fifth grade so it will be weird to play for the last season,” Johnson said of her final girl’s basketball season.
At neighboring Tahoe Lake Elementary School, the buzz among first-day students was recess, new friends and upcoming field trips.
“I’m glad to be back and see my old teachers and friends,” said fifth grader Helana Kerns.
Tahoe Lake Elementary Principal Danny Hyde echoed a similar sentiment saying the student population has grown, the staff has expanded and class sizes have decreased.
In addition, parents and transportation staff can look forward to a safer school year thanks to upgrades at the parking area, Hyde said.
“The biggest thing for me is the new parking lot, the bus drop-off zone and the pick-up zone,” Hyde said. “We’ve changed it to create a much safer situation so students are not walking across the pathway of oncoming automobiles.”
Other Tahoe Truckee Unified School District students returned to their old schools to find some shocking facelifts, said Superintendent Steve Jennings.
“We’ve made some pretty impressive changes to a number of schools in the district,” Jennings said.
Renovations to Tahoe Truckee High School include a new cafeteria, science labs, a new gymnasium, a renovation to the auditorium, a new plaza area, dual-pane windows, modernized flooring and other small projects, Jennings said.
Over Brockway Summit at Kings Beach Elementary School, a new partnership with the Boys and Girls Club has expanded opportunities for kindergartners while providing first-grade teachers with a more accommodating schedule, Jennings said.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with all of the district employees and staff,” Jennings said of his first-day jitters. “It’s exciting to have a fresh start. Everybody is coming back with a clean slate.”
“We’ve waited so long for this day to come, and now that it’s here, it makes it all the more real knowing we will be graduating soon,” said Jakki McGuigan, a senior at North Tahoe High School.
For McGuigan and her classmates, the 2008-09 school year will mark the culmination of their pre-college years, a period that represents both uncertainty and anxiety for the future, said fellow North Tahoe High senior Brit Johnson.
“It’s exciting, but kind of nerve-racking,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of pressure from college due dates.”
Johnson has yet to narrow down her university of choice, but for now, the varsity basketball player said she’s concentrating on her final season with the team and her unprecedented freedom as a high school senior.
“I’ve been playing with them since I was in fifth grade so it will be weird to play for the last season,” Johnson said of her final girl’s basketball season.
At neighboring Tahoe Lake Elementary School, the buzz among first-day students was recess, new friends and upcoming field trips.
“I’m glad to be back and see my old teachers and friends,” said fifth grader Helana Kerns.
Tahoe Lake Elementary Principal Danny Hyde echoed a similar sentiment saying the student population has grown, the staff has expanded and class sizes have decreased.
In addition, parents and transportation staff can look forward to a safer school year thanks to upgrades at the parking area, Hyde said.
“The biggest thing for me is the new parking lot, the bus drop-off zone and the pick-up zone,” Hyde said. “We’ve changed it to create a much safer situation so students are not walking across the pathway of oncoming automobiles.”
Other Tahoe Truckee Unified School District students returned to their old schools to find some shocking facelifts, said Superintendent Steve Jennings.
“We’ve made some pretty impressive changes to a number of schools in the district,” Jennings said.
Renovations to Tahoe Truckee High School include a new cafeteria, science labs, a new gymnasium, a renovation to the auditorium, a new plaza area, dual-pane windows, modernized flooring and other small projects, Jennings said.
Over Brockway Summit at Kings Beach Elementary School, a new partnership with the Boys and Girls Club has expanded opportunities for kindergartners while providing first-grade teachers with a more accommodating schedule, Jennings said.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with all of the district employees and staff,” Jennings said of his first-day jitters. “It’s exciting to have a fresh start. Everybody is coming back with a clean slate.”
