First Day

4-September-2019
   On Wednesday-4--September the Public Schools of the Bogota Board of Education started their 2019-20 school year. At the Steen School Students and  Families gather in the playground off Orchard Terrace. The Students, Teachers, and Parents greeted each other and shared stories of the past Summer. The Students renewed last year friendship, compared backpacks, and  talked to former Teachers from past grades. Teachers, and Parents asked each other about how their old Students are doing. Some just moving up a grade while others have left Steen and now begin the secondary phase of their Education. A few Parent introduced new siblings to the Teachers, and Friends who will soon be joining in this ritual.
  Then the Students then found the lines of their grade and assigned Homeroom teacher.  The Students in Kindergarten, and First grade were now entering a new World without their Parents. The Teachers introduced themselves to the new Students and hope they will have a good time in the year ahead. The Sixth Grade Student showed their excitement in getting this new and final Steen year started, and were they will be in the future.
 Finally the time came to enter the Building. The older Student had this routine committed to memory, even if a stray Lunch box, or other item was also left behind. Other Younger Student  needed a little more convincing to enter these doors. Some had to have one re-ensuring hug from their Parents. Or even the physical act of a Parent holding the small hand and passing to this new Adult  in their lives.
 With the last Student inside Parents slowly returned to their day stopping on the way to the other Parents who had just shared the same experience.
 Some notable changes this year was the fact that the school year started on a Wednesday. This was to get the Students into the learning routine as soon as possible.  All the three 
days this week  will be half sessions. New this year will be the assignment of Security Officers in each of the district's School.  These are Special Law Enforcement Offices-class 3 SLEO-3 and will be on duty during regular school hours for the length of the school year. Each  SLEO-3 would be under a one year contract and evaluated at the end of the school year.  Events. SLEO-3 would be dressed in a casual attire ( polo shirt & khaki pants). These officer are instructed not to perform arrests, but to manage a situation until a uniform officer arrives. The SLEO-3 would be paid by the Borough of Bogota, and then the Borough would be reimbursed by the Board of Education
 At the High School a new Vice Principal, Mr. Erick Alfonso, was hired replacing Mr Michael Buesser for the 2019-20 school year. Also this will be the first opening school year that will have Pre-School classes for Students aged 3 &4.  These classes will take place at Steen, Trinity, and Bogart, as well the special needs preschool already at Bixby School.  

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