Bemidji Area Schools Welcomes Students Back for 1st Day of School

With Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College starting last week, it didn’t take long for Bemidji Area Schools to follow suit, as the district welcomed students back Tuesday for the first day of school.

No matter how much students of any age may love summer break, all good things must come to an end the day after Labor Day. With the dropping of temperatures comes the start of the school year for K-12 students.

“We welcomed our kids back for the first day of school and it was fantastic,” exclaimed Gene Dillon Elementary School Principal Ami Aalgaard. “Oh, it was so fun. We saw lots of smiling faces, lots of eager young people, and our staff just did an amazing job welcoming them.”

And although coming back from summer break may not be the easiest thing ever, Gene Dillon students didn’t find it as much of a hassle as you might think.

“The kids love routine,” stated 4th grade teacher Mackenzie Burnham. “It seems like they’re excited to know not only what’s next in their schedule, but also just getting those fresh faces here, they don’t know each other coming to Gene Dillon from all those new – you know, the old K-3 schools. Coming to the new school, seeing new faces, getting to know each other seems to be their favorite part.”

‘Welcome back’ signs lined the hallways as students made their way back into the classroom.

“First day went great, had a good turnout of kids – all of them were here,” added Burnham. “They were ready to learn and eager to be here. I think their favorite thing was still gym, but hopefully I’ll get them to enjoy math and science and all the other academics that come.”

And the back-to-school season is just as big of a deal to teachers as it is to students.

“My favorite part of being a teacher is really just seeing the progress and the growth throughout the year,” said 4th grade teacher Whitney Jones. “So seeing where kids come in at versus where they end up for the year is always fun to see.”