Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 6, 1995 TAG: 9509060086
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Although the pupils at Wasena Elementary School in Roanoke will have box lunches for a few days until their kitchen is finished, they were happy Tuesday to get back into their newly renovated building after being away for a year.
Fifth-grader Russell Sutton didn't have a place to park his bicycle, because the bike rack had not been installed, but he was not complaining about the building itself.
"It's bigger. There is more space," the 10-year-old said as he looked up at the ceiling in the combined cafeteria and gymnasium.
"It's neat. Now we have carpet in the halls. And the classrooms are new and nice," said Zack DeLung, a fifth-grader.
About 30,000 children in Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke County returned to class Tuesday. School officials reported a smooth opening day.
"Everyone seemed to be well prepared," said Marty Robison, executive assistant for Roanoke County schools. "It was almost like we never stopped for the summer."
Schools opened earlier in Botetourt, Montgomery and several other nearby counties. But Roanoke Valley schools were not permitted to open until after Labor Day because they did not miss at least 10 days for bad weather last winter.
As children in Roanoke's Wasena neighborhood celebrated the reopening of their school, students began adjusting to the yearlong closing of Stonewall Jackson Middle School for renovation.
The Jackson students settled into their homes away from home: sixth-graders at Breckinridge Middle School, seventh-graders at Ruffner and eighth-graders at Madison.
Two weeks ago, some Wasena parents doubted the school would be ready by Tuesday. But school officials assured them it would open on time.
Construction crews were putting the finishing touches on the $2.4 million project Tuesday. They installed stairway lights and caulked around windows.
But most of the interior renovation, except for the kitchen, has been finished.
Mary Hackley, supervisor of elementary education for city schools, stopped by the school Tuesday to make sure it opened on schedule.
"This is the seventh one that we have opened after renovation, and I wasn't going to let it be late," Hackley said.
Wasena is the last of Roanoke's elementary schools built before 1930 that have been refurbished in recent years.
The children were impressed with Wasena's new look and the huge glass-enclosed hallways at each end of the building. Natural light fills the hallways.
"It's going to be a great school. It's good to be back," said Carrie Sink, a fifth-grader.
"It's cool. I like it," said Deven Langston, a fifth-grader. "I haven't seen my classroom yet, but it's great."
Stephanie King, 10, said the school looks different, but many of her old classmates are back and that will ease the transition.
Wasena has a new principal this year. Roger Magerkurth, who welcomed 260 pupils on opening day, is a former principal at Virginia Heights Elementary and the Villa Heights Educational Center.
Wasena's teachers spent many hours during the past week helping to get the school ready for opening day, Magerkurth said.
More computers and televisions will be placed in the school after the security system has been installed, he said.
During the past year, some Wasena children attended the Wasena annex at Madison Middle School, and others attended Raleigh Court Elementary.
Robin Barbour was thrilled with the reopening of Wasena because it means that her daughter, Lauren, won't have to leave the neighborhood to attend Hurt Park Elementary. Lauren attended a special-education program at Hurt Park as a kindergartner last year and is a first-grader this year.
But Lauren clung to her mother and didn't want to go into Wasena. Teacher Jean Jackson helped ease Lauren's anxiety, and the little girl agreed to go inside without a struggle.
Some mothers came prepared to record the first day of school on film. Sarah Lupton brought her camera and took pictures of her son, Korey, a first-grader - "much to his embarrassment," she said.
At Madison, 120 students from Jackson Middle School were learning their way around with plenty of help from Madison students.
The eighth-graders from Jackson are mixed with Madison students in classes so they will feel part of the school. Seven Jackson teachers also are on Madison's staff this year.
"We wanted the Jackson students and staff to feel they are part of our school - not a separate group," said Philip Jepson, Madison's principal.
A Jackson student, Charles Combs, 13, said he got lost at Madison on opening day, but some students directed him to the right place.
Angela Minnix, 13, said some of her best friends from Jackson are in her classes at Madison and that makes the adjustment easier.
"It's a lot different here. Here, we are free to walk from class to class. At Jackson, the teachers walked with us between classes," said Katrina Barton, 14.
Breckinridge Middle School has 175 students who would have been enrolled in the sixth grade at Jackson this year. The Jackson students have been mixed with the Breckinridge children in classes.
Breckinridge Principal Helen Townsend said opening day went so smoothly that it was almost scary. An orientation session for the sixth-graders was held last week.
Stephanie Draper, a sixth-grade teacher at Jackson, said she was anxious about moving to Breckinridge but it has worked out well. Draper and five other Jackson teachers moved to Breckinridge.
Enrollment on opening day in Roanoke seemed to be close to the projection of 12,772 , but final figures were not available, said public information officer Lissy Runyon.
Roanoke County's first-day enrollment was 13,515, but it expects to gain 100 to 150 students by next week.
Salem's enrollment was 3,725.
by CNB