By Bill Reynolds
La Conner Community News
Monday evening was like the first day of school for La Conner students.
And, in a way, it was.
La Conner Schools held its annual open house and “Meet the Teachers” event the night before Tuesday’s start of classes for the fall term, and the scene featured a clearly upbeat “Back-to-School” vibe.
La Conner Elementary Principal Marcus Knowles welcomed students and families at the building’s entrance. Teachers shared schedules on their whiteboards. Kids met up with friends on the playground and shared their summer vacation highlights.
In the elementary school’s Commons Area, school staff, La Conner Parent-Teacher-Student Association members, and Joe Harper of the La Conner Future Basketball group manned informational tables for what was a steady stream of folks.
For 90 minutes, the synergy was unmistakable.
“It’s been a great turnout already,” Knowles said, barely 20 minutes into the open house format. “Our teachers have been working hard getting their classrooms ready for this. It should be a great year.”
His optimism was shared by La Conner Elementary counselor intern Eric Mithen, formerly a graphics artist for a Baltimore business journal who after serving as a paraeducator in Anacortes enrolled at Seattle University to pursue a career in the academic guidance field.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Mithen said, looking forward to the school year ahead.
Meanwhile, across Sixth Street, incoming high school seniors busily put final touches on their painted personal parking spaces. La Conner Middle & High School Principal Christine Tripp and her faculty greeted new and returning students. And a special presentation for sixth graders, who are making the transition from elementary school, was held.
Also, Jessica Pedroza of the Braves Hub placed an easel in the main hallway inviting middle schoolers to list new activities they’d like added to the popular after-school program.
The Braves Hub theme this year will be “Around the World,” highlighting geography and travel as learning tools.
“Travel is a great education,” Pedroza noted. “And you don’t have to go far to travel in your mind when you have a good book.”
Tripp, who doubles as La Conner’s director of athletics, scheduled a fall sports meeting at 6 p.m., an hour into the open house. Much of the middle and high school student academic orientation was undertaken at Braves Day earlier in August, she said.
At the elementary school, in addition to the new features unveiled, it was a familiar and favorite mainstay — recess — that was a big hit.
Incoming kindergartener Imani Espinoza beamed with a wide smile when told the playground was open. She dashed off that direction with no hesitation.
Nor did La Conner Superintendent David Cram hesitate to deem the night a success.
“When I saw how filled the parking lot was, I said, ‘Wow,’ what a big turnout.’”
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
