Children are confronted with a flood of emotions as they expand their view of the world

Hundreds of students lined up in front of Park Elementary School in Fanto Park on Tuesday for their first day of school.

Led by staff, the children gathered in a circle with wide eyes as Principal Marie Voss-Patterson and Vice Principal Laurel Pate welcomed the New Year with the school song and a quote from Winnie-the-Pooh.

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you have ever seen, and smarter than you think. So let’s reflect a little on that as we begin the new school year,” Pate told the crowd.

It’s the eighth year for the principal and assistant principal duo, and this year’s enrollment is higher than in recent years. Park Elementary has welcomed 45 transfer students this year, bringing the total enrollment to 466, Voss-Patterson said. In recent years, the school has averaged between 420 and 430 students.

Pate said the influx of transfer students is a combination of students within the district and others who have moved in from other states. Including kindergarten students, more than 100 new students have been added to the school.

Until two years ago, Riverview Elementary School had the largest student population in Durango School District 9-R, Voss-Patterson said. And with more students came more staff at Park Elementary. The elementary school hired 15 new staff members this year.

Voss-Patterson cited the development of the Rocket Pointe apartment complex and other construction projects near Escalante Drive as a possible reason for the higher student population.

Opened in 2019, the 194-unit apartment complex in south Durango offers additional living space for families near the school.

Looking ahead to the start of the new school year, school administrators expressed excitement that this could be the year in which teachers can break free from the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s taken us a while to get back into the swing of all the things that are really important to us, like field trips, involving parent volunteers and pushing our own boundaries,” Voss-Patterson said.

“Going beyond the walls” is the concept behind Park Elementary School’s Expeditionary Learning program. Park and Escalante Middle School are the two institutions that use the Expeditionary model.

In addition to the core curriculum, Park teachers’ goal is for students to use their critical thinking skills and academic knowledge to respond to community needs. For example, for kindergarten students, there is a section called “Toys & Play,” where young students learn about toys from different countries and their cultural significance.

Third graders learn about educational barriers in other countries to broaden their view of the world. And fourth graders learn about the women’s suffrage movement and why voting is important.

For parents, however, it’s another year until their ultimate goal — further education and high school graduation for their children. On Tuesday, Durango City Councilman Dave Woodruff dropped off his son Mason for his first day of fifth grade and his daughter Finnley for her first day of third grade.

“I thought it was great to be able to send the children back to school,” he said. “Of course I’m looking forward to the new school year, but also to getting some structure back into their lives after the semi-chaotic summer.”

The start of school brings with it many emotions for young students. Friends see each other again after the long summer holidays, while others may be going to school for the first time.

On Monday, parents and students had the opportunity to meet their teachers and become familiar with them.

“My kids are always nervous. They’re always wondering who will be in their class. We were here yesterday and met the teacher,” Woodruff said.

He said he looks forward to his children continuing to expand their knowledge in core subjects and developing their social skills.

Other school districts in La Plata County began classes earlier. Bayfield School District resumed classes on August 12, while Ignacio School District did not welcome students back until Monday.

But the first day of school looked a little different for the students at Miller Middle School.

A summer fire at the Miller Middle School construction site forced the district to relocate students to the Impact Career Innovation Center and Durango High School. The high school and middle school students will share space on campus until September or October, district spokeswoman Karla Sluis said in an email Tuesday.

The cause of the fire has not yet been released. The Durango Fire Protection District and county officials had previously discussed arson, but there were no conclusive results.

Sixth grade students attended classes in the Impact Career Innovation Center. Seventh and eighth grade students attended classes on the first floor of the west wing of DHS, in the southwest corner of the building next to the bus lane.

The fire on June 16 damaged important electrical equipment that was to be installed in the new building. The fire is estimated to have caused up to $150,000 in damage.

“Compressing two schools together was a huge project,” Sluis wrote in her email. “But everyone worked hard and got it done in a short amount of time. We are grateful for our patient families, our flexible staff and our resilient students. Soon, our Miller Angels will land in a state-of-the-art new building that our entire community can be proud of.”

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