Most New Hanover County students still have a few days of summer freedom left before cracking the books, but their teachers are already hard at work preparing for a new school year.
Tuesday was the first day back for teachers, and it was taken up by staff meetings and the rush to get everything ready in time for the first bell.
At Wrightsville Beach School, the staff meeting was running long. It was the first chance for many of the teachers to meet new principal Jackson Norvell, who was reassigned from Ashley High School over the summer.
Outside the meeting, the halls were buzzing with activity as PTA volunteers made copies and helped decorate the walls. President Allison McWhorter stood barefoot on a table, stapling a construction-paper background to a bulletin board as her children looked on. She is optimistic the new principal will be a good fit.
“Amazing. A-ma-zing!” she said. “He’s enthusiastic, willing to jump in, willing to listen. He has ideas of his own, but it seems his biggest priority is to make everyone feel like a family.”
A few miles away at Noble Middle School, teachers were smiling and busy. Shannon Playl, a seventh-grade language arts teacher, said she’s ready for a new year and a new group of students.
“It’s always good to come back, but it’s tough when the weather is so nice,” she said. “But we are so blessed to have a break.”
Noble teachers had a lot of work to do to ready their classrooms. The floors were redone over the summer, and the smell of fresh paint was everywhere.
Health and physical education teachers Joe Solomon and Glenn Galloway were pressed into service moving tables for fellow teachers who were changing classrooms. Lead carpenter Darrell Jones, meanwhile, was fixing door hinges and doing other odd jobs. As a 12-month employee, he said summer is a good time to get the big stuff done.
“We fixed all the trailers, the floors — anything you can do while the kids aren’t here,” he said.
Art teacher Margaret Cooley was painting a bookcase in her room. The art books were piled on a table, and she hadn’t had time to put up her posters yet.
“They even had to move the new kiln because of the tiling,” she said.
Summer was restful and spontaneous, but from now on there will be little time for that. From each day’s beginning to its end, Cooley will be in teacher mode.
“It’s almost like being deployed,” she said.
Career and technical education teacher Ricky Lee, with daughters Charli, 8, and Casey, 6, in tow, already had his classroom in order. He is looking forward to seeing some familiar faces as well as new students.
“You always feel a little bit of anxiety, like you’re not totally prepared for the first day,” he said. “But if you put in your time, you know it will probably be all right.”
Come Monday, the classrooms will be filled with students, ready or not.
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