Yellow Pages
Flanked by his mother and two siblings, first-grade student Anthony Nuñez walked with confidence up the damp sidewalk to Washington Elementary School Thursday morning.
As he learned in kindergarten last year, all he’ll need to know on the first day is his teacher’s name.
“I have to walk up to her and say, ‘What’s your name?’ and she’ll just tell me,’ ” the 6-year-old beamed. “That’s what I did to my other teacher last year.”
Teachers waited in the entryway to greet any less-assured students with an important question: “Do you know where you’re going?”
Sandy Holmstrom, a tutor to students and volunteer kid-wrangler of the morning, leaned over to ask the question of nearly every student — especially those with first-day fears smeared across their faces.
Kindergarten teacher Julie Harris stood by to aid in the effort, escorting any confused students to their classrooms.
Harris said the real thrill is welcoming her former kindergarten kids to the first grade.
“Man, you got tall in the summer!” she said to one familiar face walking through the doors.
Whether the students return her greeting with a hug or just stand there grinning, Harris said she can’t help feeling like a celebrity on the first day of school.
Along with the 485 students signed up to begin class at Washington Elementary, office secretary Melody Henderson said the staff expects more students to enroll in the coming days. The school had 25 more students enroll sometime after the first day of school last year.
All schools in the Mount Vernon School District opened Thursday, except for 7th grade, which began on Wednesday.
Burlington-Edison District Assistant Superintendent Jeff Drayer said that district has seen more kindergarten students enrolled so far this year, though the official count for all grades is expected sometime today.
Classes began Wednesday in the La Conner School District. Superintendent Tim Bruce said the district had a 2 percent increase in enrollment over last year.
Anacortes students will return to school next Wednesday, Sept. 9. Employees called families — and in some cases went to homes — to count the exact number of students who plan to show up on the first day of school.
“I think we’re going to hit our budgetary number,” Superintendent Chris Borgen said.
Students and teachers in the Sedro-Woolley School District returned happily to classrooms Thursday, a day late, after a teachers strike was cut short by a settlement in the union contract.
