Students are slated to return on Aug. 6

Most of Alleghany's nearly 1,500 public school pupils will begin the 2003-04 school year next week.

The year begins for pupils in first through 12th grades with a half day of school Wednesday, Aug. 6. Lunch will be served that day, with the county's three K-8 schools — Glade Creek, Piney Creek and Sparta — dismissing at 11:30 a.m. and Alleghany High School dismissing at noon.

The next day, Aug. 7, will mark the first full-length school day. Several events are scheduled for Aug. 5 in preparation for the beginning of school. That Tuesday is "Meet-Your-Teacher Day" at the three K-8 schools. Pupils are invited to meet their respective teachers between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. A school bus drivers meeting is slated for 1 p.m. that day in the Sparta School cafetorium.

AHS freshmen orientation is also set for Aug. 5. Incoming freshmen are to report to the new gymnasium at 7 p.m.

Kindergarten will begin the following week. The first day for half of this year's kindergartners is Aug. 11, with the rest to begin school Aug. 13. Home visits will be scheduled, and parents will be notified as to when each child is to begin school.

Friday (Aug. 1) marks the first day of the school calendar for teachers, an optional workday. Aug. 4 and 5 are mandatory teacher workdays. Some teachers were already at school last week and/or this week making preparations for their classes.

One problem the school system faces is space limitations versus increasing enrollment.

Superintendent Duane Davis said about 90 children are anticipated in kindergarten at Sparta School alone. "It may be the biggest class enrollment in years." That total, at just one of the three local schools which include kindergarten, is more than the 85 in AHS' new junior class — which is projected to be as small a class as the school system will see for some time. The freshman class numbers 121. "I don't know what we're going to do about space at Sparta School," said Davis. Various ideas are being discussed and considered.

Personnel

Personnel changes for Alleghany County Schools (ACS) include about 20 new hires, with one change among school administrators. This week ACS named Mike Edwards as the new assistant principal at AHS. Originally from Alleghany, Edwards comes to AHS from Fairplains Elementary School in Wilkesboro, where he has served as principal. He replaces Tony Hall.

Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News! Back