Students excited by return to classroom

Summer’s fun, but being back in the classroom isn’t so bad either, according to students at Our Lady of Charity School.

Kyraalie Brimmell joined thousands of Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board students on Tuesday for the first day of school, and said she’s excited to start learning.

It’s not so bad, she said.

“I like going to school because it just makes things easier if you like it, because your whole future depends on how well you do in school,” said the 11-year-old, entering Grade 6 this fall.

While many of her classmates were trying to squeeze the last few seconds out of their extended summer break, Kyraalie said her final act was all about her education.

Asked how tough it was to get out of bed, she said she did the responsible thing on Monday night.

“It was easy because I decided to make a good choice and go to bed early,” she said, adding that she and her sister went last-minute shopping for their school supplies, picking up pencils, erasers, rulers and notebooks.

Lukas Marenic, a 10-year-old Grade 6 student at the County Park school, said he’s excited to start learning about space, a big part of the fall curriculum in his class.

“I want to learn all about what’s up there, and asteroids and stuff,” he said.

The first day of school is always exciting, said principal Barb Strickland, noting this year was no exception.

The students were eager to hit the classroom, see their old friends and make some new ones. The excitement was in the air, for students and teachers alike.

The latter have been working hard for the past few weeks, preparing lesson plans and getting classrooms in ship shape for the new school year.

It doesn’t happen overnight, Strickland said.

“I told the kids this morning that we don’t have classroom fairies that come and prepare the classrooms, that teachers actually spend a lot of time over the summer and then they come in and prepare their classrooms, to make them like little homes for their students,” Strickland said.