A New Year’s yearning for learning

Unlike after the long summer break, students tend to come back focused, rested and primed for school after the 17-day holiday break, said Madison Elementary School principal Brent Perdue.

“I really look forward to these weeks,” Perdue said.

Most Spokane and Spokane Valley schools started classes Tuesday. West Valley School District begins today.

At the start of the year, students adjust to new teachers and new routines. By Thanksgiving parents have had their first teacher conference, which gives them tips and insight into helping their children perform better, Perdue said. After a short break, they come back rested and ready, he said.

Then they just take off.

“Typically, when they come back from break, they’d never admit it, they’re tired of break,” Perdue said.

Well, maybe not completely.

Sixth-grader Paige Kimpel was undecided about whether she wanted to return to school Tuesday after her break from Madison. In the school office with a cold pack on her lip from a minor recess accident, Paige said, “It’s kind of half-and-half.”

Paige likes seeing all her friends. Several escorted her to the school office after her face encountered a tree. But she’s not so keen on all the homework.

Whether students are primed or not, there’s still some massaging to get them back into the groove.

As a rule, the younger the student, the more time they need to talk about the excitement of the holidays, said third-grade teacher Rita Hadley.

On Tuesday, she gathered her students on the floor to talk about the one thing that meant a lot to them during the holidays. All 22 students got a chance to share with the group.

“It does take a while, but I find it’s time well spent,” Hadley said. “They’re going to tell you anyway.”

First-grade teacher Ellen Rush lets her students into her class a little early on the first day back to give them a chance to visit as they put their coats and book bags away. There’s a lot of hugs and excitement, she said. Then to start the day back, and the start of the next three months, they gathered together when they heard the music and they sang together, “Oh what a beautiful morning. Oh, what a beautiful day.”

Then they wrote in their journals about what they did the past 17 days. Rush told them that she’d read everything they wrote that night.

By noon, there was no hint of any kind of holiday break.