By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Laughter and running feet filled the halls of Bucyrus City Schools Wednesday but the first day of school is still a few summer-filled days away.
The school district held open houses at the elementary and secondary schools Wednesday evening where teachers and administrators were on hand to answer questions and get to know the students and their families. Later that evening, the district also held a dinner for open house attendees and a Fall Meet the Teams Pep Rally.
Kristy Armbruster had brought her son Casey to meet his teacher and learn how to operate his new locker.
“I think it helps him to know who his teacher is for the first day of school. It will make him a little more comfortable and be a little more familiar,” Armbruster said. “This is his first year with a locker so we practiced with that.”
“It makes me feel better knowing who his teacher is going to be and knowing he’s going to be okay with him,” Armbruster added.
Casey thought it was cool to meet his teacher before the first day of school but he wasn’t overly worried about remembering his locker combination for the first few days.
“I just might need my coat a little bit until I can remember it,” Casey said.
Families wandered down hallways, visiting teachers, peeking into classrooms, and fiddling with locker combinations. The teachers could be found discussing schedules with parents or showing students around their classrooms.
“As a teacher we get to meet all the students and their families,” explained third grade teacher Brittany Kaple. “They get to see the room, get comfortable with us. It’s often nice to start building the relationship with the family.”
Kaple believed open houses were beneficial to the community. “It gets the families in the school building, talking to the teachers. Plus, every year is different: different teachers, different lockers.”
The first day of school for Bucyrus students is Aug. 25.