Kindergarten students mark first day in new schools – Austin Daily Herald

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Banfield Elementary Principal Blake Henely interacts with a pair of kindergarten students on the first day Monday. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Kindergarten students at Banfield Elementary go about actviities on the first day of school on Monday. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Noetzel paints a youngster’s hand as they do a fun activity of getting to know students Monday on the first day of school at Banfield Elementary School. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Kindergarten students at Banfield Elementary take in some ABC’s on the first day of school Monday. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Kindergarten students make their way down the hallway past Principal Blake Henely on the first day of school Monday. Eric Johnson/eric.johnson@austindailyherald.com

In a Banfield Elementary School classroom on Monday, teacher Jennifer Noetzel asked a student her name and then put some paint on her hand so she could make a handprint.

It was a chance for the teacher to get to know her students with a fun arts and crafts activity.

While it was the first day of school throughout the Austin Public School District, it also marked the first day in a new school for kindergarten students.

“I thought it went great,” Banfield Elementary School Principal Blake Henely said. “We had all hands on deck to help out the families to help figure out, one, where they are going and then support the kids in getting them to their spots. It was awesome to see the staff jumping in on day one.”

The decision to move kindergarten students out of Woodson Kindergarten Center is part of the district’s restructuring and includes moving kindergarten students to the neighborhood schools and the early childhood learning students into Woodson. It was a decision the board made in June of 2023.

The realignment brings with it a number of advantages including cost savings, a streamlining of bussing as well as opening the students to certified physical education, art and music teachers.

Two years of planning went into the realignment and on Monday the students were in the classrooms and halls, ready for another school year.

“They are part of the community now,” Henely said. “We have new staff, obviously. Then it’s trying to incorporate them and build those connections with everybody.”

Gone are the animal monikers Woodson used to designate classrooms. Instead, the kindergarteners are considered part of the schools they now go to, which again aligns with the plan by the district to place students into their neighborhood schools.

In Banfield, the school administration set aside a wing in the north end of the school dedicated to just first grade and kindergarten students, both of which are new to the school this year.

For Banfield, it was a fortuitous time to make the move because of work done to the school’s infrastructure in recent years.

“Everybody had to leave anyway,” Henely said. “So as we came back in we could create the K-1 wing. That was a priority for us.”

Prior to the move, Henely said they made sure to hold several meetings with the Woodson teachers coming to the school. It was an important step that ensured staff were gelling so that the students could be prepared when they came back.

That staff development was an important part of the realignment process.

“I think we used the calendar the best we could last year,” said Superintendent Dr. Joey Page. “They had multiple meetings throughout the year with principals and teams — getting acclimated. Everyone knows each other in Austin because of the size of the district, but we didn’t want to take that for granted.”

The benefit is that after this year, students will now have two years in the same wing to adjust and become used to their new surroundings. Henely said that’s a big step in establishing an important routine for students.

“Just knowing where you’re at. That you can establish that piece that they know where to go,” Henely said. 

The work done before the realignment has paid off. Page, who visited schools in the district throughout the day Monday, said the transition appeared seamless on several levels.

“The stuff I heard from folks, particularly principals and staff, is that it looked like they had been there forever,” Page said of the kindergarten students. “It’s such a testament to our teachers to build that kind of environment. It’s really a credit to the principals to lead the transition work this spring.”

Meanwhile, the move to place the early childhood learning students under one roof represents a sort of homecoming. Two years ago, those children were forced to leave the Community Learning Center attached to Queen of Angels Catholic Church because of health concerns regarding a bat infestation.

After spending time split up in the district’s school, those early learners are now back under one roof.

“This is a program that is very connected to staff from the teams they work in,” Page said. “They haven’t been together for the last two years. They’ve been spread across our district and they’ve done a very good job with that. … having that all in one spot is a great benefit.

As to what the future looks like, Henely said it’s too early to tell. One day isn’t going to define a year and based on past experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said that the school needs to “live” the new arrangement before they start looking to successive years.

“One of the things I felt coming out of COVID was we were changing things on a daily basis,” Henely said. “We could never figure out what was working and wasn’t. We need to live this for a little bit. How do we come into the classroom? How do we sit down? It’s never perfect Day 1.

Henely added that in the coming weeks and months, they will have a better idea of any tweaks that need to be made.

For the time being, he was just relishing the energy of students and staff back for another school year.

“It was awesome coming in and seeing their excitement and just talking with the kids,” Henely said. “That energy they bring is awesome to see. The smiles. They are excited to be here.”

“I’m excited to have them in the building,” he continued, referring to the kindergarten students. “They are going to be here for five years. What can we do to support them as students and see their growth over the five years is exciting to think about.”