by Catherine Hunter

TRYON– Ryan Holland, Jr. and his brother, Savion Holland, were so excited about going back to school they played a game of running around a post in the courtyard of Tryon Elementary School. This was 4-year-old Savion’s first year attending pre-school and his brother is now entering kindergarten.

The Holland boys were not the only ones excited to be starting a new school year on Monday. Several students and their siblings played on the swings and basketball court Thursday afternoon during the school’s “meet the teacher event.” Parents said the chance to meet the teachers, introduce the children and drop off supplies is a big step in starting the year off right.

“We get to know what they [teachers] expect and share our expectations,” said Ryan Holland, Sr.

Shezada Holland said it helped the children feel more comfortable if they could meet their teachers before classes start. Parent Annie Hollister agreed saying meet the teacher day was a good chance to get a sense of how the teacher would respond to the students.

Hollister has five children. Four of them graduated from Tryon Elementary, and have gone on to other schools. Shiloh Hollister is in third grade this year at Tryon Elementary. “It makes for a crazy morning trying to get to three different schools,” Hollister said.

Tryon Elementary School Secretary Yvonne Bruce said meet the teacher day was also a good chance for the students to get to know the campus and find out where their classroom is.

“Most of the students have been through pre-school and are excited about coming back,” she said. “They come ready.”

According to Bruce, the school maintenance team works all summer to be ready for the students to come back.

“So much goes into getting the buildings ready we had to hire extra help this year,” she said. Bruce explained that the maintenance team paints the buildings, cleans the carpets, waxes the floors and much more.

Custodian Erin Aldrich said they do things such as move furniture, clean windows, clear out boxes and trash and even do yard work. Aldrich said though she works very hard year round she loves her job.

“The most fun is working with my friends and interacting with the students. They’re happy people here,” she said. “I like cleaning the tiny toilets.”

According to Tryon Elementary School Principal Todd Murphy, the staff and faculty are getting ready for approximately 400 students this year. Class sizes are small with only about 17 to 18 students in each class.

“We’re excited to start another great year and intend to focus on meeting the needs of each individual student,” he said. Murphy also said the faculty feels blessed to have great support from the community and parents.

Third grade teacher Anne Godley, spent Thursday afternoon during the meet the teacher event showing parents some of the books the students will be using, talking about lunch schedules and making sure older siblings could meet up with younger brothers and sisters for afternoon pick up.

Computer and science classes were popular among the students. However, the overall favorite seemed to be recess.