At five different schools students walked towards the building that signaled the end of summer. Some were excited, some were just a little nervous and some cried while they clung to their parents. Some of them hadn’t done this before.  

At Powell’s elementary schools, Northwest College and Powell High School athletes mingled with students; they even helped students dunk basketballs — some particularly adventurous college students climbed the playground equipment after the much quicker school children.

Powell Middle School and Powell High School had their annual field day activities for their incoming underclassmen, awkward and nervous but mostly excited for a new chapter in their school career.

Parkside Elementary School

At Parkside Elementary students showed “Parkside Pride” on their first day of school until the bell rang and it was time to go. They excitedly ran around with their parents and best friends they had waited all summer to see.

Louise Appleby waited by the door, she is 5 years old and a member of the first classic kindergarten class in Park County School District 1. The class is for select students district wide but housed at Parkside Elementary. Appleby was excited to start class — it will only be “like two days” — and to use the playhouse in her teacher Ms. Sweet’s room.

First grader Brycen McNeil was excited to start the school year, “my friends are in school,” he said. McNeil enjoys reading and his favorite book is “dirt bikes.”

Fourth grader Weatherby Alan said he enjoys everything about Parkside Elementary; he’s most excited to have a kindergarten buddy, “because they’re just so teeny.”

Westside Elementary School

Westside Elementary students were settled into their day while the kindergarteners learned the rules of the playground. Kindergartner Myles Rideout is a member of Mrs. Rasmussen’s class, he said, and their room is closest to the outside. His first day has been good … because, he said with a smile. His nearby schoolmate Kaia Cadwallader has also loved her first day — she’s excited for lunch even though it hasn’t happened yet, because she packed Oreos. She thought kindergarten would be a lot of playing and it had been that first day, mostly she played “spidey,” a climbing game with her friends. 

Third grader Fisher Fulton said he’s gotten the hang of school, he’s just excited to learn.

“I like how I can learn a word from reading and I get better at math every time I do it,” Fulton said.

He likes math the most and hopes to use it when he grows up and becomes a teacher.

Southside Elementary School

After lunch at Southside Elementary students went to their specialty classes like computer lab, music and physical education.

Kindergarten student Gracie Saldana smiled ear to ear, she was excited to be a kindergartner. She was most excited to have lunch, which was “a taco and corn and blueberries and chocolate milk to drink.” She said she’s also excited to learn about letters and ride the bus to school. She wanted to ride the bus but her parents dropped her off on her first day. 

First grade student Ridge Rohrer was quiet, but excited to start the new year. He said he likes to play at recess and to read. His favorite book is “Ten Darn Dogs” by Scott Haynes. It’s a cowboy book, Rohrer said — he’s a cowboy too. This year will have a little bit more learning which is exciting, Rohrer said; math is his favorite subject. He said since he’ll be a rancher when he grows up he’ll have to count the cows.

Powell Middle School

Sixth grade students rotated between different stations with activities and speakers meant to help them learn about the day to day workings of Powell Middle. 

Sixth grade student Nevaeh Andrews came to Powell Middle from Southside Elementary and said she’s most excited about seeing multiple teachers throughout the day, “because we get to know more than just one person.” So far Andrews has had a good experience with the people at Powell Middle; by the end of the year she hopes to have made more friends. 

Eighth grader Grace Gordon’s year was off to a good start. She said she’s happy to have math as her first class of the day when she can approach the difficult subject with energy. She also landed a spot in PESCO as an elective, the class most students want. Gordon was also excited for weights class where she will work on her upper body strength ahead of volleyball. 

Powell High School

Romans, cowboys, hippies and more wandered the halls of Powell High School during the first part of the day. Freshmen took part in their orientation which was led by select juniors and seniors. 

Freshman Tristan Robinson said she’s excited to meet upperclassmen and for “the mixing of the grades.” After several years with the same classmates Robinson was ready for more diversity. She was kind of nervous but her brother Tucker, who is a grade above her, told her it’s not too bad, she said. Fellow freshman Carson Moore was excited to take advantage of the welding classes.

“My brother and I loved [to weld together] and it’s a fun activity that we used to do together a lot,” he said.

Senior Kik Hayano, a freshman mentor this year, looked forward to her classes “and I’m looking forward to just kind of wrapping up high school.” After school she’ll head to college where she plans on becoming a mechanical engineer. In the meantime she hopes to pass onto freshmen the idea that high school is not that bad and they should enjoy their time.

“It’s really not that awful, it’s a fun experience and enjoying it while it lasts really makes it worth it,” she said.