It was a great first day

极速六合彩 Superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos traveled across the district Monday to see how the first day of school was going. His tour of six schools required 40 miles of driving and included 19 classroom visits, five Facebook Lives and even one PTA meeting.

What did he find?

It was a super first day. And apparently, the macaroni and cheese in the cafeteria is pretty good.聽

There were lots of highlights, from pre-K to high school, but here are just a few from each of the six schools on the tour.

Jones Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language

Dr. Cavazos started the day by joining Jones鈥� dads as they clapped in the new and returning students at the front door. Then he went to a kindergarten class where many of the first-time students were feeling nervous.

Except one. Cavazos stopped to help him with a puzzle, but it turned out he didn鈥檛 really need help. And he happens to be a comedian.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 an alligator鈥檚 favorite food,鈥� the kindergartener asked Cavazos, who had no idea.

鈥淕ator tots. It鈥檚 derived from tater tots,鈥� he explained to the superintendent.

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Crow Leadership Academy

Nothing makes a first day great like new playgrounds, especially the ones that just opened at Crow. That鈥檚 the lesson Cavazos learned at the leadership academy.

When he explained to a second-grade class what his job is, one boy named Ian asked, 鈥淪o you鈥檙e the one who made them build a new playground?鈥�

Cavazos was suddenly the big man on campus.

鈥淭hank you! It鈥檚 much better!鈥� Ian shouted over a host of students鈥� excited exclamations. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like three playgrounds in one!鈥�

鈥淭he playgrounds are the only reason I came to school,鈥� another student said.

鈥淎re you like the president,鈥� another asked. 鈥淗ave you met Joe Biden?鈥�

Lamar High School

Cavazos started his visit at Lamar with a class of ninth graders in the new Lamar P-TECH program. The early college program has 126 students from across the district and will prepare them for careers in cybersecurity and business.

Cavazos always gives the students a chance to ask him questions, and the P-TECH students had some good ones. One girl asked how he handles stress.

鈥淲hat do you do when you have a lot on your plate?鈥� she asked.

Cavazos admitted his job as superintendent is stressful but that he gets a lot of joy out of it because he loves it.

鈥淚 remember my purpose,鈥� he said. 鈥淎lways return to your purpose.鈥�

His purpose, he said, is the students. And his job is to ensure they all have an exceptional learning experience and graduate prepared for the next stage in their lives.

Ditto Elementary

Playgrounds were an important topic of conversation at Ditto, too. After most students in a first-grade class told Cavazos that the best part of their day had been recess, one asked a serious question.

鈥淲hy does there have to be a new playground?鈥� he asked.

The student was concerned because demolition of the current Ditto playgrounds started yesterday. And even though they enjoyed recess, the students hadn鈥檛 been able to use the playground.

Cavazos explained that the new playgrounds, coming in October, will be better, with shade structures and soft surfaces.

鈥淣o more rocks?!鈥� one student asked about the pea gravel.

No more rocks.

鈥淲hoopee!鈥� he shouted.

Even without a playground for the first day, it was still fun thanks to Principal Bell Williams and her staff. Dressed like a superhero, complete with a cape, Williams talked about how much she loves the first day.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a true celebration and we try to make it that way for our students,鈥� she said. We set the tone on the first day 鈥� We want our students to know they are loved and cared for.鈥�

Ousley Junior High

The junior high students at Ousley didn鈥檛 have as much to say as the elementary students, but they admitted to Cavazos that they were having a good day. And in each class Cavazos visited, they offered the same reason for why it was so good.

The teachers.

鈥淭he teachers are very welcoming,鈥� said Raniya, an eighth grader and aspiring attorney.

But then one eighth grader steered the conversation in an entirely different direction.

鈥淪auce,鈥� Trustin said when Cavazos asked the students if they had any questions.

Then he clarified. 鈥淲e need some better sauce at lunch. Barbecue or honey mustard.鈥�

鈥淪weet and sour, too,鈥� another student said.

Pearcy STEM Academy

It was getting close to the end of the day when Cavazos reached Pearcy, but teachers and students were still going strong and having fun.

In Ms. Vasquez鈥� fourth-grade class, students were engaged in a group challenge to build skyscrapers out of index cards. They were already beginning to learn about engineering principles.

And in Mrs. Lase鈥檚 English class, Cavazos joined in an activity called snowball writing. Each student 鈥� and Cavazos 鈥� had a paper with three writing prompts. They would answer a prompt 鈥� with complete sentences 鈥� then crumple up their paper into a snowball and throw it at a bullseye on the board. Then they would pick up someone else鈥檚 snowball, unfold it and answer the next prompt. After three rounds, Cavazos read to the class what he had written for his third prompt: 鈥淲hat fictional character would you like to be?鈥�

鈥淐harlie Brown,鈥� Cavazos said.

He went on to explain that Charlie Brown has a lot of interesting friends, is a good guy, and though he doesn鈥檛 often win, he always perseveres.

That鈥檚 when a student raised his hand.

鈥淏ut doesn鈥檛 Charlie Brown always get pummeled in the end?鈥� he said.

Super Fun Day

Every school was different and unique. But one thing was the same all around.

It was a super fun day full of great students and great teachers.

And Cavazos had a similar message for all of them. He offered encouragement and thanks in every classroom he visited.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e exceptional fourth graders,鈥� he told Ms. Vasquez鈥檚 class at Pearcy. 鈥淵ou have a great teacher and you鈥檙e going to have a great year. Thank you for being great students.鈥�

Are you first day ready?

The first day of school is almost here, which probably means excitement for most parents and sorrow for some students as they soak up the last days of summer.

We want you to have a great first day in the 极速六合彩, and we鈥檝e got you covered with five tips for a fun first day for you and your kiddos.

1. Fuel Your Brain

You鈥檝e heard it since you were a kid. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whether you eat it at home or school, breakfast is the perfect way to kick start the day. 极速六合彩 provides breakfast and lunch at school, and you can check and pay .

2. Create Memories

The 鈥渇irst day of school鈥� pic in front of the front door is practically mandatory. Whether your child is heading into pre-K or senior year, be sure to snap a pic of them on their first day. Time flies, so it鈥檒l be awesome to see your child grow 鈥� whether it鈥檚 in height or attitude 鈥� in each picture throughout the years. And while you鈥檙e snapping pics of your child to show off on Facebook and Instagram, be sure to use the hashtags #ArlingtonISD and #SuperFirstDay so we can see and share your special moments on district social media channels.

3. Manage Your Time Wisely

With nearly 60,000 students and more than 8,000 staff members heading back to school, traffic on the first day is real. Elementary times are 8:10 a.m. to 3:35 p.m., junior high times are 8:45 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. and high school times are 7:35 a.m. to 3 p.m. Be sure to plan out your day and leave for school on time, so you and your students don鈥檛 miss a beat!

4. Prepare for Success

There鈥檚 nothing like getting ready for the first day of school with new kicks, clothes, backpacks and school supplies. If you spent the summer on vacation mode and forgot about school supplies, don鈥檛 fret. Check out the elementary school supply lists here, and head to your favorite store to grab everything you need. Junior high and high school students will get supply lists during the first week of school.

5. Breathe

Relax. If you鈥檙e feeling the first day jitters, just take a deep breath and exhale. You and your child are going to be fine. They鈥檙e in great hands in the 极速六合彩. If you find yourself missing your child more than usual, just know those feelings are normal. As you go through the school year, be intentional about spending time with your kiddo and checking in on them.

Try new things like Family Movie Night or eat dinner together a few times per week. No matter what you and your family decide to do, make sure it鈥檚 filled with lots of love and laughter. And don鈥檛 forget the first school holiday is just three weeks away as we鈥檙e out of school for Labor Day, Sept. 5.

From everyone in the 极速六合彩, we hope you have a #SuperFirstDay of school!