Early Wednesday morning, smiling parents stopped to take pictures and wave to their children as they eagerly filed inside Albert Cassens Elementary. The school in Edwardsville is one of many Illinois schools starting this week.
On this first day, Stephen Grissol wanted to walk his fifth grade daughter to the door for her last year before middle school.
“They grow up too fast. I just want her to stop growing,” he said. “I can wait (for middle school).”
Before saying goodbye, Kyle Patterson arranged a gaggle of kids for a group photo, some his own, others friends and family he helps walk to school.
“I’m excited for them. I always get a little nervous too, just in case they’re not feeling 100% about it,” he said. “But I think they got a pretty good feel for it.”
Because Albert Cassens enrolls grades 3-5, Patterson’s third grade daughter, Layla, was starting the year at a new school. When asked how she felt in a different place, Layla said she was only a little nervous.
“It’s really nice,” she said, telling other kids what to expect. “You’ll get a good teacher.”
Wednesday marked the first day at Albert Cassens for some teachers, too. Katie Speaks, who moved from teaching middle school to third grade this year, said she wants her students to know she can also get nervous.
“We’re going to read a book called ‘First Day Jitters’ and just talk about those feelings that we might all be having,” Speaks said. “(I want to) give them comfort knowing that they’re not alone.”
Down the hall, fourth grade teacher Grace Costello played the ukulele to calm her nerves as she waited to start her first year teaching.
“I think it’s really important to learn each other’s interests, and mine is music,” she said. “We’re going to do a little song and have everyone introduce their names. … Hopefully that’ll help them remember each other.”
Fourth grade teacher Gina Law said such first-day activities are important steps in building a strong classroom community.
“I spend more time with them than I do with my family at home. So we want to make sure that everybody feels safe and loved and nurtured.”
This year, Law’s class size has fewer students than she’s used to. According to the Illinois Report Card, the school’s enrollment has decreased more than 8% since the pandemic started, from 512 students in 2019 to a little more than 450 in 2022.
The scene at Albert Cassens is part of a statewide trend. Illinois schools’ total enrollment has decreased by more than 5% since 2019. Law is not concerned about the change.
“That just makes me more excited to get to know them even better than in years past,” she said. Law said it will create more opportunities to tailor her teaching to each student’s interests.
Next year, Law could find herself teaching current third grader Alexandra, who professes a love for math.
“I’m really good at it. I know how to do times, division, plus and subtraction,” she said. “I like going to school. It’s fun because I get to learn.”
