New faces and places on the first day of school

Parents and their children ranging from preschool to high school students across the Island kicked off a new school year on a sunny Tuesday morning.

Outside of the Oak Bluffs School, Principal Jeremy Light and Police Chief Jonathan Searle greeted the incoming families. As children happily reunited with their friends and teachers in the background, Light emphasized that the first day of school is about teachers forming connections with their new students. 

“Today is really just about doing our best to build relationships and making the students feel comfortable and welcome here at the school,” Light said.

Lydia Heath, whose daughter, Nikita, is entering the first grade, said that this year will be marked by new friendships, growth, and learning.

“She’ll be able to tell the time by the end of the school year,” Heath said. “New steps every year.”

When asked about what part of the school year she was excited about, Nikita said “everything.”

Light also highlighted several changes to the school, such as the installation of a new boiler and the hiring of Oak Bluffs’ first school resource officer (SRO), Julia Levesque.

Levesque told The Times that as an SRO, she hopes to make police officers less intimidating to children.

“It’s endless opportunities to incorporate safety into the school and having kids be able to see that police are more than just protecting and serving,” Levesque said. “They shouldn’t be scared to approach us. It’s bridging the gap to have them grow up with police officers.”

As children lined up in the back of the building to enter with their teachers, Vikki and Tony Cortez waited with their other two children on the playground as their son, Brayden, joined the class for his first day at the Oak Bluffs School. Tony said that his son, an incoming fourth grader who transferred from the Tisbury School, is eager to be in the same school as his friends. 

“He was nervous but he’s more excited than anything,” Tony said. “He’s happier to be with his friends this year.” 

Over at the Chilmark Preschool, parents and guardians picked up their children in the afternoon at a new school building. The private, nonprofit preschool, which operated in a leased classroom at the Chilmark School for 21 years, was forced to relocate due to increasing enrollment at the elementary school. The new preschool has the capacity to serve 38 toddlers and preschoolers in two new classrooms, one serving toddlers ages 15 months to 2.9 years-old and another room for preschoolers ages 2.9 to 5 years old.

Preschool Teacher Nettie Kent said that some of the children were initially sad about separating from their parents, but she and the other teachers were able to cheer them up with games and activities.  

“There’s tears in the beginning … but they quickly get excited by games and other kids,” Kent said. “We have so many fun things for them to play with inside and different tables with puzzles and crayons and all these things that distract them pretty quickly.”

Chilmark Preschool Program Director Casey Esposito described the first day as “very successful.” 

“[The] first day was absolutely a joy to watch everyone come through the doors; Parents, returners, new students. Some tears, lots of smiles, and then everyone had a great morning,” Esposito said. 

Along with a new building, the preschool has experienced other changes, such as the addition of five new staff members and adjusting the schedules to accommodate the new toddler students. 

On the playground, Nancy Slate watched as her granddaughter, Nadine, 4, climbed on the structure and pushed around tiles. At the start of the day, Nadine told The Times that she felt “all different feelings.”

Slate said that Nadine, who missed the cutoff age for kindergarten, is going to enjoy her last year as a preschooler.  

“She’s going to be one of the older, very helpful children at preschool,” Slate said. “But that’s okay. I think she’s going to like just playing around for a year.”

As Betsy Larsen was leaving with her niece, Maya, 3.5, to go to work at their family business, Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha, Larsen expressed her excitement about the new building.

“What a beautiful new school … I’m picking Maya up because Daddy is out getting oysters on the oyster pond,” Larsen said.

To which Maya added, “And Mommy is working so hard.”

Larsen continued to marvel at the school.  

“What a great place to learn. I’m surprised any of the kids wanted to go home,” she said.