The Garden City School District’s seven schools officially opened on Tuesday, Sept. 3, as returning students arrived to some new and many familiar faces, while kindergartners were welcomed for the first time to their new schools.
Garden City Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kusum Sinha stopped by the schools to greet principals, faculty and students on the first day of classes. Younger grade-level students participated in various activities to acclimate themselves to their new classes and get to know their new teachers and classmates, while older students transitioned into new courses and extracurricular activities as seasoned pros. This year more than 300 kindergartners are beginning their educational journey in the district.
“It’s great to see our hallways full of smiling faces again,” Sinha said. “It’s also nice to see students reconnecting with one another and engaged in hands-on learning so early in the school year.”
Some notable enhancements for the new school year include revised curriculum in elementary literacy and computer science, specifically, full implementation of Columbia University’s Teachers College Reading & Writing Project and expansion of Project Lead the Way to the middle school. Several classrooms have also been outfitted with flexible furniture, and a series of facility improvement projects were undertaken during the summer, including the implementation of new systems to enhance safety and security.
All schools opened without incident, and by the end of the first week it was business as usual, with students and staff eyeing another successful year. Welcome back.
