It's a busy day in Collin County.
Frisco, Allen and Plano school districts all welcomed back students on Wednesday morning.
At Haun Elementary School in Plano, principal Denise Lohmiller orchestrated a grand welcome for students. Teachers went all out with pom poms, encouraging messages chalked on the sidewalks, and lots of hugs.
"Today, it's just a widespread welcome – with our arms wide open – for families coming back and being able to be in the building. Taking their kids to the first day of school to their classrooms with music, pom poms, upbeat enthusiasm – it was just really important to our staff,” she said.
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The school is also celebrating its 25th birthday – a much needed celebration after two years of uncertainty during the pandemic.
“Our namesake, Betty Han, once stated many years ago about Plano ISD -- building the foundation for excellence brick by brick. And unbeknownst to us, we have a word that we're living by this year at Han, and it is 'bricks,'” said Lohmiller. “It stands for brave, responsible, behaving with integrity, compassion, kindness and being self-aware. We're going to teach, model and practice what it means to stand by those words. It is a great year and it is different. After the pandemic, we have been able to open the doors to our families, cheering them on and welcoming them to our nurturing ,caring environment that our staff has worked so hard to prepare for in this special year.”
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Superintendent Theresa Williams was there to greet students at Haun on Wednesday, as well.
“It just bought back to mind, for me as a mom, how exciting the first day of school is,” she said. “Whether you're dropping off your child for the very first time in kindergarten or saying goodbye to your to your senior in high school – the memories were coming through. The kids seem to be really happy so we're off to a great start.”
She said the school district has implemented a district-wide theme this year of ‘believe’ – to help encourage and nurture students to the next level.
“The last two years were really a tough time for all educators and schools across not just Texas, but across our country,” she said. “There's a lot of excitement. There's a lot of positivity, and a lot of hope and excitement about this new school year.”
In a video to parents last week, Williams said Plano ISD is also taking a deep dive to evaluate and revise their district emergency operation plans as well as individual emergency campus plans.
The safety and security department hosted safety training this summer for staff and teachers ahead of the school year. Students will be trained in the first days of school.
The district also recently added hired a new leadership role, director of emergency management and safe schools. That person’s primary responsibility is to monitor campus safety plans and provide professional learning on best practices to keep students safe.
"Principals came back in the middle of July and our teachers came back early in August. We have all hit the road running with new learning and we've had a great focus on our safety protocols for the year,” she said. “It just feels really good right now and we know that whatever comes our way, we are ready and prepared."
Plano ISD is also working to fill openings for teachers and bus drivers, among other positions.
"We do have teachers in all of our classrooms this morning so we're very grateful that," said Williams. "I think that's been one of the challenges. It's been tough the past couple of years for education and the workforce all together."
The school district website posted a warning to parents about anticipated bus delays heading back to school this week, amid the ongoing critical shortage of bus drivers that school districts are experiencing nationwide.
“Plano ISD could experience significant delays across several morning and afternoon bus routes this week,” a statement on the PISD website reads. “Plano ISD is encouraging parents to weigh all options ahead of the first day of school, including driving your student to school. If your child’s bus is ever running late, please know that it is on the way.”
The PISD Transportation Department has a web page to help communicate late bus information to families at www.pisd.edu/latebus. The page will be updated on an as-needed basis to notify parents and school personnel of bus delays more than thirty minutes.
If you are interested in applying for open bus driver positions call (469) 752-0789 or visit Plano ISD’s jobs page.
