It’s the first day of school. People shuffle through crowded hallways and stairwells in a school that seems to crowd more each and every year. They catch up with friends about their summers and the upcoming school year. It is time for the first week of school, ever dreaded by some students, looked forward to by others.
A common complaint of many students coming back into school this year has been the tightly packed hallways. Under and upperclassmen alike have all found that navigating the halls has been far more difficult than past years, with many placing the blame on a large freshman class of 2026.
“It felt normal, getting back into the swing of things. I mean, there are alot of 9th graders; the school is totally overcrowded,” sophomore Bryan Brodsky said.
On a more positive note, returning to the school building after summer has given many people the chance to reunite with friends they have not seen since the start of summer. Although it is very easy in such a large school to have classes without anybody you know, there is always the chance to walk in and see some familiar faces.
“It was exciting coming back to school, seeing people I hadn’t seen all summer. I have friends in some of my classes, especially in Myth, which definitely makes the class better,” junior Jane Dunn said.
Many people can remember their freshman year and how easy it is to get lost and overwhelmed. Especially in the first week of school–that adjustment period is often scary.
“It was really scary because in the hallways everyone was like ten feet tall and you couldn’t find your way around and it was really easy to get lost,” freshman Yael Saltsman said.
Something that always has a huge impact on students’ first weeks and overall year is their teachers. A good teacher can really make a class much better.
“I was lucky to have amazing teachers that are engaging,” senior SGA secretary Bryan Kibet said.
For others, especially underclassmen, teachers are important in welcoming new students.
“I didn’t know any of my new teachers’ names. They talked, but they didn’t really introduce themselves very well I thought. But they’re pretty cool, even though some of them are a bit strict,” Saltsman said.
While the first week is always important, it is still just the first week, with many more to come. Most people in the building are just getting back to the school year rhythm in the first week.
“Students should know that it also takes us teachers some time to find our rhythm. Most of us haven’t been teaching students since last year, unless we were teaching summer school,” English teacher Joushua Fullenkamp said.
“Yes, while there is work to be done, there has been far more to celebrate in our first few days of school,” MCPS superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight said in a letter to the community.
