MARLBOROUGH – Rows of school buses dropped their students off at Francis J. Kane Elementary School, marking the start of another school year last Wednesday.
It marked the first day of the school year for first through 12th grade for Marlborough Public Schools.
“Being able to start off the year without masks and seeing those smiles and just seeing how happy they are has been amazing,” said Principal Kalliope Pantazopoulos.
Assistant Principal Richard Lacina noted that the last few years have been difficult for students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The students were ready to be back in school and get some structure, he said.
Pantazopoulos said the first day of school is always the busiest, with a lot of running around to make sure buses arrive on time and students know where they are going.
First and second grade teachers stood outside to help their students find them as they got off the buses. However, they were not alone.
“This building is full of amazing staff members. Maybe half of those teachers that were out there – they’re not assigned to be out there,” Lacina said. “They were out there just to welcome the kids and say hello and help out.”
“It’s very easy when you run a building like that and you have people that you don’t even have to ask for things,” he added.
Looking ahead to the rest of the school year, Pantazopoulos said they will emphasize building relationships between staff and students.
“I’m excited about seeing all of the wonderful things they will be able to do with our students by building these relationships,” she said.
Lacina said he is looking forward to working with staff, students and school parent-teacher organizations. Hopefully, he said, they are able to welcome parents into the building more than they did the last three years.
Parents dropping their children off spoke of feeling both excited and nervous at the same time.
Sandra Dabankah said it was nerve-wracking to watch her son, Zion Semavor, enter his first day of first grade.
“Even though he got on the bus, I still drove behind him and came,” Dabankah said.
Dabankah said that Zion is a little shy and really wanted to stay on the summer break instead of going back to school.
Javier Dones walked his daughter, Mila, to the door of Kane for her first day of second grade.
Dones said that he was a little anxious, but he was mostly proud and excited to see her reach this new milestone.
“It’s great to be able to see her become a young lady, follow directions and understand how to communicate with the other kids,” he said.
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