Officials ready for opening of schools

Published 6:59 pm Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Faculty and staff from across the Tyrrell County Schools district held meetings the week of Aug. 21 in preparation for the beginning of school.
Sen. Erica Smith Ingram (D-Northampton) provided an inspiring message about the role educators play in students’ lives when she keynoted a breakfast welcoming all staff back on Monday.
The program included new staff and staff transfer recognition along with updates on the child nutrition program and district lockdown procedures.
“We appreciate all of our stakeholders who were in attendance including County Commission members, our County and Town Managers and our Board of Education,” stated Dr. Will Hoffman, superintendent.
TCS faculty and staff also engaged in staff meetings, data discussions and school-based trainings in preparation for the first day of school on Aug. 28.
Each of the local schools hosted well-attended open house sessions for parents on Aug. 24. Principals and teachers reviewed curriculum initiatives, uniform policy, and student discipline and attendance policies with parents.
Columbia Early College High School students received their schedules for the year.
District transportation met Aug. 24 and went over final preparations for the school year. Bus drivers reviewed bus safety
procedures, how to support students with asthma, diabetes and epilepsy, and discipline procedures.
Each bus is outfitted with stop arm cameras and interior cameras for safety purposes. Bus routes and inclement weather procedures were also reviewed and discussed. Drivers were able to drive their routes to prepare for the first day of school as a part of this important orientation.
“We appreciate the work of our bus drivers as they play a critical role in getting our students to and from school safely each day,” said Hoffman.
“The Tyrrell Elementary School gymnasium has a long and rich history of being a place for students to come together for athletic events and community recreation,” Hoffman stated. The opening of school marks the beginning of a new, cooler era
at TES with the addition of air conditioning to the facility.
“With the new climate-controlled environment TCS is able to professionally restore the luster of the old wood surface of the
gym floor by sanding, sealing, repainting and finishing,” Hoffman noted. “We look forward to the completion of this final summer project before Labor Day.”
The superintendent added, “TCS school facilities and grounds are looking great to start the year. We appreciate the strong support of our school community as we look forward to the 2017-2018 school year.”