Eastern Iowa kids navigate first day of school ‘jitters’ and newly constructed buildings

MARION — Sarah Austin begins each first day of school by reading a book, “First Day Jitters,” to her first grade students.

The book talks about waking up for the first day of school and having “mixed feelings,” she said. At first, the reader thinks the book is from the perspective of a student starting at a new school, but at the end they learn it’s the teacher’s perspective.

“I have the same feelings kids have. I try to make a connection with kids on those nervous feelings,” said Austin, who teaches in the Marion Independent School District at newly-constructed Parkview Elementary School.

“Being able to voice those feelings, share them and realize other kids might be feeling the same way helps get them more comfortable, lose some of those nerves and gain more excitement,” Austin said.

Excitement built Friday morning as teachers at Parkview, 125 Third Ave., Marion, anticipated the ring of the first bell of the day, signaling it was time to open the doors to students.

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Terri Schmidt, a math improvement teacher at Parkview Elementary, greeted almost every student by name as they walked through the school’s front doors. Schmidt, who taught at Starry Elementary for 26 years, said she was ready for a change. “It’s so awesome to be in a new school with a new beginning,” she said.

Tucker McCurdy, 7, a second-grader at Parkview, said school is “awesome” because he gets to learn math. He can count up to 100.

Kynsington Glovick, 5, a kindergartner, wore a dress with school buses, rulers, “A+”s, rainbows and flowers printed on it. Her brother, Kyler Glovick, 6, a first-grader, said he was excited about getting a locker.

Austin, who has taught first grade for about a decade, said students make “so much growth” in this year.

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“It’s the best feeling to watch them believe in themselves,” Austin said.

Parkview replaces Starry Elementary School as a K-2nd grade school in the district. Parkview also is welcoming preschoolers this year as a part of its 300-student body.

Marion Independent school leaders are working with OPN Architects to analyze possible uses for the former Starry Elementary, which closed to students at the end of last school year, Superintendent Janelle Brouwer said.

Parkview was funded by a $31 million general obligation bond issue approved by voters in March 2021. The total cost of constructing the new elementary school was about $19 million, Brouwer said.

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Cedar Rapids Trailside Elementary School

Jennifer Nurre, principal of Trailside Elementary School in the Cedar Rapids Community School District, said if teachers hadn’t been allowed into the newly-constructed building earlier this month to begin setting up their classrooms, they would have been “pounding down the doors.”

“They’re so excited and awe-struck over some of the spaces like the gym, cafeteria and library, which is a masterpiece,” Nurre said.

Trailside at 320 27th St. NE, Cedar Rapids, is the third new elementary school to be opened in the Cedar Rapids Community School District under a 2018 facilities master plan. Each school has cost an average of about $24 million to construct, according to the district.

The projects have been funded by SAVE — Secure an Advanced Vision for Education — an existing statewide sales tax allocated to districts based on certified enrollment.

As staff returned to school this week, Nurre said they got to know each other by talking about what they would have won a gold medal in the Olympics.

“We have good bakers, good sleepers and true crime watchers. We learned a little nugget about everyone,” Nurre said.

Trailside, a K-5th grade school, replaces Arthur and Garfield elementary schools, which were closed to students at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Arthur was sold to the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy, and Garfield was sold to local developer Steve Emerson, who plans to renovate it into apartments.

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At a school assembly next week, Trailside students will be introduced to their new mascot — a fox named Garth, a combination of the names Arthur and Garfield. They also will be gifted a school T-shirt provided by the parent teacher organization, Nurre said.

Trailside is about double the size of the two elementary schools it replaces, welcoming about 420 students on its first day. Some educators say larger elementary schools alleviate operational challenges smaller schools present by providing consistency to staff and students.

Each grade level is assigned to a wing of the building, so the school feels smaller to young kids learning to navigate their new environment. In each wing of the building are the students’ lockers, restrooms and a common space where they can learn in smaller groups or one-on-one with a teacher.

The common spaces are an improvement in the new elementary school since in many older school buildings this learning happens in hallways where there can be many distractions. This structure also minimizes distractions of students walking in the hallways past classrooms of students who are engaged in learning, Nurre said.

Clear Creek Amana East Ridge Elementary School

On Monday, fourth and fifth-graders in the Clear Creek Amana Community School District will have their first day of school at newly-constructed East Ridge Elementary School in Coralville.

The district broke ground on the new elementary school at 2950 Xing Ridge Dr., Coralville, just last summer, which building and grounds director Maury Gallagher was a “very aggressive” timeline.

Some areas of the building will not yet be ready for students Monday, including specials classrooms like band, music, art, the library and potentially the gym, he said.

East Ridge is the sixth and largest elementary school in the Clear Creek Amana district and will alleviate overcrowding in its other schools. It will welcome about 450 students Monday with room to grow and capacity for 600 students.

With Tiffin, North Liberty and Coralville recognized as three of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa, the Clear Creek Amana district estimates growing enrollment of 150 to 200 students per year, and the 10-year enrollment outlook estimates 300 to 350 students per grade level.

Construction and furnishing of the school was funded by a $65 million bond referendum approved by voters in March 2022. The total cost of the school is estimated to be about $39.6 million.

East Ridge Principal Ryan Paulson said he’s looking forward to watching the fourth and fifth-graders this year develop leadership skills that will prepare them for middle school. A student leadership team will be responsible for giving the school’s daily morning announcements, recognizing exceptional student leaders and birthdays, he said.

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