Richland students welcomed back

Richland School District Elementary schools have returned to session, with students ready for the school year.

The students returned on Aug. 24 with a unique service for the parents and students at Sequoia Elementary School. Upon arriving at the school, parents were greeted with students in vests, ready to be valets. No, they didn't park the parents' cars; they assisted the students getting out of their cars, as well as helping the kids getting where they needed to go.

"I think this was really cool," said Melinda Rodriguez, who was dropping her daughter off for class. "This was so cute!."

Golden Oak welcomed the kids and parents back properly with a Back to School Night, held on Tuesday night. The event began with a presentation made by Golden Oak Principal Diane Barnett. She told the parents that their kids would be given the best care and dedication from the staff and teachers. She also told the parents that they would be kept abreast of everything going on at school through their Red Folder Thursdays. "Each Thursday, your child will have a red folder in their backpack. This will contain any information that you will need, including upcoming events, classes, and anything that the parents will need to know."

After the presentation, the parents were invited to meet their students' teachers in the classroom. There, they learned how the class would be taught, as well as what would be expected from the students and the parents for their experience to be a positive one.

A lot of students and parents were excited and nervous at the event, aiming to get the new year started on a positive note.

One excited student was Aria Leonard. Leonard, entering transitional kindergarten, was excited to be at school and make new friends. Her parents, Justin Leonard and Yvette Rodriguez, said that she was excited to be at school. Asked what her favorite part of the experience is, Leonard said, "She is most excited about learning Spanish."

Leonard is enrolled in the Dual Language Immersion program, which was introduced a couple of years ago. This program introduces the students to both English and Spanish and uses both languages in the learning process. "She is having a lot of fun and will be learning so much," he said.