BROSVILLE — A cool and breezy summer morning greeted students in Pittsylvania County on their first day back at school Monday. The return was delayed after Tropical Storm Debby threatened to bring flooding rains and possible tornadoes to the region Thursday and Friday. Pittsylvania County Schools were closed both of those days as safety precautions, marking the first time — at least in recent memory — the school year start was shuffled.
Even before the time came to let students inside — officially at 7:50 a.m. — cars were lined up at the back of Brosville Elementary School awaiting for a staff member to emerge, giving the signal to start unloading.
Zack and Jordan Turner were near the front of the car-rider line with their returning student. Brosville Elementary School students enter the school Monday after getting off a bus. Monday marked the first day of class for Pittsylvania County Schools.
“Nervous, nervous,” Zack Turner told the Register & Bee when asked of his feelings. “Just excited,” he continued. “Our girl’s going to first grade.
” The young student — and her parents — woke up at 6 a.m. Monday to get ready for the school-year launch.
“Had to get Chick-fil-A going this morning,” he said with a smile. The tropical delay didn’t faze these parents, with the husband pointing to “safety fist.” In what would soon become a recurring theme of the morning, accolades freely flowed for the small school along U.
S. 58, about 10 minutes outside of Danville. “I love Brosville,” Jordan Turner said when asked about her thoughts on the school.
“It’s family, it feels like a family” Zack Turner echoed the words while shaking his head in agreement. “It’s the definition of a school,” he said. “That old-school school feeling,” he continued.
“It looks like a school, it feels like a school.” Over at the front of the building where the buses were unloading, Principal Felita Atkins marveled as the students stepped off the bright yellow vehicle, noticing how much they’ve grown in just a few short months. “It’s a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful morning,” she told the newspaper.
“All of the kids are smiling, no tears this morning, so we are great.” As the school leader for the last 16 years, Atkins said the school is very close to her heart. Brosville Elementary School Principal Felita Atkins welcomes students back to class Monday.
Also, she’s since been there so long, she knows most of the families who come through. “I love the smallness of the school,” she said after the final bus unloaded students. “We’re a very close faculty, you know, family-oriented.
” The delayed opening bought Brosville some extra time to get settled amid a construction project to add vestibules to elementary and middle schools in the county. The vestibules create an added layer of security. When someone is buzzed in to a facility, previously that person was free to go anywhere.
With the vestibules, the person can come inside and go to the main office, but will not have access to the rest of the school because of a new wall. Although the plan was to have it finished by now, supply issues have caused a bit of snag. It could be as late as September before doors are delivered to complete the security projects.
Over the summer, crews had to reconfigure the main offices for the new security flow. “It did allow us time to make sure everything was straight with the new construction that we’ve got going on,” Atkins said. “I hated it for the children, because I know they were excited,” she countered, explaining she has to children of her own who were sad about schools being closed last week.
Joseph and Emily Hiatt also took the weather curveball in stride “It’s weather, its unpredictable,” Emily Hiatt said with her husband noting it was a bit “strange.” They were there to drop off their fifth-grade student, accompanied by another child who was heading to Tunstall High School. “We love Brosville,” Emily Hiatt said.
“I think the staff really gets to know our kids.” Joseph Hiatt said the school had more of a family and community feel to it. Zack Reaves, who was dropping off his third-grade daughter, said he liked the smaller class sizes and noted the teachers seem to be involved.
“We’re excited,” he said of the first day. “She was excited to come.” Beyond getting new clothes selected for the first day, there wasn’t anything that made Monday stand out more than normal, the father said.
Reaves always drops his daughter off in the morning, but she rides the bus back home in the evening. Once inside, the students faced a seemingly routine first day, Atkins explained. “Just trying to get them in, making sure there are no tears,” she said of the out-of-the-ordinary plans for the day.
“Ready to pick up learning.” Brosville Elementary School students enter the school Monday after getting off a bus. Monday marked the first day of class for Pittsylvania County Schools.
Brosville Elementary School Principal Felita Atkins welcomes students back to class Monday. Charles Wilborn (434) 791-7976 [email protected] @CWilbornGDR on Twitter Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.
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