NNPS welcomes students and families to a new school year
Posted: August 26, 2024
Yellow buses rolled and excited students bounded into the hallways as the bell rang August 26 to start the 2024-25 school year for Newport News Public Schools.
Teachers and staff have been preparing lesson plans, classrooms and learning materials for weeks in gearing up for students returning to school. They welcomed them back with smiles, fanfare and lots of excitement.
"Every teacher I know has been working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year," said Jessica Sigsbee, a new second grade teacher at Dutrow Elementary School. "We're all so excited to welcome students and families back to school."
Superintendent Dr. Michele Mitchell began her odyssey of visiting each of the 41 NNPS schools in the first three days. She started her tour early Monday morning at the SCOT bus lot and then she was off to Woodside High School for the first of many meet and greets with students.
"I am beyond excited to welcome our students back to Booker T. Washington Middle School," said B. T. Washington Principal Karen Bazemore-Person, one of many administrators all over the city who had readied their buildings and had their hallways gleaming Monday morning. "I look forward to an amazing year filled with growth, new opportunities and unforgettable firsts."
Christopher Newport University student-athletes greeted students arriving at numerous elementary schools throughout the city Monday morning. CNU athletic teams also were positioned at key intersections in Newport News with signs encouraging drivers to pay extra attention to roads now that schools are back in session.
"I am starting my 30th year of teaching and I am as excited now as I was during my first year," said Stacey Hester, a math teacher who is Hines Middle School's 2024-25 Teacher of the Year.
"I love helping young minds grow and I am looking forward to helping my new students reach their full potential."
Within the same school, another teacher is coming from a very different perspective.
"As a first-year teacher and career switcher, I have been a bundle of anticipation for weeks, perhaps more so than many of our sixth graders," said Seth Carter, a new teacher in eighth grade English at Hines. "There is nowhere in the world I would rather be right now than in the classroom; our future sits in these seats.
"We owe our children literacy and preparation for an ever-evolving world. It takes a village, and it is an honor to serve them and their families."
Another new NNPS teacher is Briahna Switzer, who will teach third grade at General Stanford Elementary School.
"I am so excited to be teaching this year at General Stanford," Switzer said. "As a previous student of the Newport News school system, I have had the privilege of working with teachers I admired as a student. I am excited to learn and grow with my students this year. The new school year is full of promise."
Among the new administrators are Dr. Jaraun Ransome as principal at Ella Fitzgerald Middle School and Katherine Jenn as principal at Riverside Elementary School.
"I am incredibly excited to start the school year and engage with our dynamic students and dedicated staff," Ransome said. "I look forward to fostering a positive and inspiring environment where every student can thrive and reach their full potential."
Jenn, former assistant principal at Gildersleeve Middle School, welcomed students and families as she started a new chapter as well.
"I'm thrilled to welcome our young learners back for an exciting school year," Jenn said. "Seeing their bright smiles and eager faces at Open House filled me with joy, and I can't wait to watch them grow and succeed in our nurturing and supportive environment."
View our First Day of School 2024 photo album on Facebook.
