Freshmen Transition Day
October second was the first-day students were back in the Lee’s Summit High School building.
Students walk down the halls on freshmen transition day. Assistant principal Nacole Boan was glad to see students back in the building. “I even think there’s some extra step in students’ walk today because they haven’t been in the building for so long either,” said Boan.
October 6, 2023
October second was the first-day students were back in the Lee’s Summit High School building. Despite some well-founded nerves about getting started, teachers and administrators were glad to see students filling the halls
“Super excited to have kids back in the building,” said activities director Tracy Bertoncin. “I’ve been working with kids since the beginning of July, and these hallways have been very lonely, and not having bells and not having kids in the hallways in between passing periods has been eerie and sad.”
Bertoncin was not the only one excited to have in-person classes.
“Finally! Thank goodness,” said teacher Craig Heeney. “It’s much better with students. It’s boring working virtually, it’s nice to be back with the kids, it’s why I got into teaching.”
Transition day did not happen without some bumps in the road.
“Over the walkies, which I have from working in the office, I heard them ask, ‘who is the substitute for Simms today?’” said senior Emma Davis. “They said, ‘I have a student running into the fence.’ I thought they meant running as in sprinting, but no. Next thing I know she’s [Payton Sutton] calling me and she’s in the fence in my car.”
Freshman Payton Sutton’s first day back at school became a bit tumultuous after she took the driver’s seat so that Davis could get to work in the attendance office.
“I work in the attendance office, so I get here at 7:00, and she doesn’t have to get here til’ later, so she sat in my car. I told her how to take the key out, and she asked me which pedal is the brake, so I told her,” said Davis.
Sutton had some difficulties with the vehicle.
“So the key wouldn’t come out and it was in drive,” said Sutton. “My foot was on the brake but not all the way, and the key still wouldn’t come out. Then we started rolling, and I said to my friend ‘we’re rolling, we’re rolling.’ and Delaney Hastey, she was in the back, said ‘we need to get out.’ So I said ‘get out, get out!’ We jumped out a split second before it hit the fence.”
Back in the building, other students were adjusting to the new social distancing measures. Teacher Georgianne Huckfeldt noticed that some students broke protocol when passing the mirror across from her classroom.
“The weirdest thing that I have seen,” said teacher Georgianne Huckfeldt. “Is when they come around the corner in A building, students stop and pull their masks down to check their face before they go on to class.”
Despite the obstacles and quirks that came with the quick transition to hybrid, assistant principal Nacole Boan is happy to have kids in the building.
“You know, we’re human. I know that there are some things that we missed and we’ll have to, you know, re-look at again and fix, but overall those challenges are worth it because kids are back in the building and that feels really good,” said Boan.
It is yet to be seen if any more changes will be made this school year.
