Featured Story: First Day Feels

We asked students, staff, and parents to give us one word on how they were feeling on the first day of school.

Of course, excitement isn't the only emotion on the first day of school.

For some students, the first day means seeing friends again after summer break. For others, it means entering a new classroom, meeting a new teacher, navigating a new schedule or taking on something they've never done before.

That can be exciting.

It can also be scary.

One of our responses was simply “scared.” Another was “sad.” And one was “mad.”

Those words belong in the story, too.

Because a first day doesn't have to feel perfect to be a good first day.

Sometimes we arrive with a mix of emotions. We can be excited and nervous at the same time. We can be happy to see our friends while also wishing summer wasn't over. We can be ready for what's ahead while still feeling a little unsure.

That's part of being human—and part of being a school community.

What matters is that we're in it together.

And perhaps that's why another response stood out: “Encouraged.”

There is something powerful about beginning a new school year surrounded by people who believe in you.