Derrick Miller
The Duncan Banner
DUNCAN —
As summer break draws to a close for Stephens County students, their principals and teachers have already been hard at work to prepare for the beginning of the school year.
Throughout Duncan, the building principals have spent the majority of their summer at the schools. Regardless of not having students at the schools, there has been much for the principals.
Duncan Superintendent Sherry Labyer said, “Summer is just a busy time. We play catch up on a lot of things.”
At the elementary schools, the principals have stayed busy with a multitude of projects. For instance, Carol Phipps, principal at Woodrow Wilson Elementary, has been overseeing renovations to the school’s main office and the rest rooms in the kindergarten and first grade classrooms.
Horace Mann Principal Marlon Gay said his school’s been going through some renovations of its own. All of the rest rooms were gutted and tiled to improve the aesthetic appeal of the rest rooms.
Gay said the school had about 440 students by the end of the year. That many children can cause much wear and tear on the buildings at each site.
Summer gives the principals an opportunity to have the schools freshened and repairs so they’re ready for students.
Gay said summer break gives the principals a chance to take on projects, including the rest rooms and repainting.
“We want it (the school) in its best condition before the kids come back,” Gay said.
Emerson Principal Mona Evans said the summer has given her time to get the classroom ready for the students’ return.
Emerson, Woodrow Wilson and Horace Mann all received new desks for their kindergarten classrooms. Phipps said the classrooms in the kindergarten and first grade wing would be getting new desks.
Evans said the kindergarten classes at Emerson are going from tables to desks.
“It makes the classrooms more manageable,” Evans said.
Gay said part of the purpose for the new desks was because larger classes are expected this year.
Evans said summer has also given the teachers and her to look over ways to present curriculum effectively, despite budgetary confines.
“It’s just a busy time,” Evans said. “We’re looking at the budgets carefully, especially because funding is so crucial right now. We’re looking at test scores; seeing how we’re doing.
“We’re planning instruction accordingly.”
Labyer said the summer has been a bit more relaxed than the period during the school year, but there’s just as many things needing to be completed. Labyer’s work is never done.
“The only difference is there’s not all the night activities,” Labyer said. “It’s a nice reprieve, but I like all the night activities. I like seeing what the kids are doing.”
Gay said many of the faculty participated in staff developing programs during the summer. He attended a bullying seminar in San Antonio, Texas, he said.
Gay and Evans said teachers are starting to get their classrooms in order to welcome the students back. They’ll be working till the first day of school to get their classrooms in order.
“The teachers are started to come back to work in their classrooms,” Gay said. “They’re getting their curriculum ready. We can hit the ground running when the kids get back.”
Evans said many of the teachers have already been putting in quite a bit of time to get their classrooms ready. She said she admired the hard work and dedication the teachers have demonstrated.
“The most important things are the teachers,” Evans said.
“They make the difference.”
Evans said she’s excited about the new school year and expects positive things to come.
“We’re going to have a good year,” Evans said. “You do it because you love it. The goal is to help the students. It’s a pleasure to do it.”
— Derrick Miller is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 160, or via e-mail at derrick.miller@duncanbanner.com.
