CCISD students start back to class for start of 2022-23 school year.
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
As a little more than 7,500 students converged at the 11 campuses that make up the Copperas Cove Independent School District on Tuesday morning, they were met by teachers, staff, and campus administrators.
On the campus of Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy, the district’s prekindergarten campus for four-year-olds, the line wrapped around the side of the building as every student told their parents goodbye for the day and received their name sticker as they were checked in.
Irelynn Wooten is four years old and waited in line with her mother, Emily, and her father, to get checked in for the first day of school.
“I have been in preschool before,” said Irelynn. “I went shopping to get ready for school, and I got a new backpack, and a cute outfit and cute shoes.”
Parents would use the time in line for a quick selfie with their young students, some of whom had never attended school before.
The campus also had some special guests who were there to welcome them into the 2022-2023 school year.
The school’s adopted unit, the 1st Cavalry Division, had soldiers who also stood at the ready Tuesday morning to give high-fives and words of encouragement to any reluctant little ones.
Sgt. James Wolf with HHB HC, 1st Cavalry Division, was among the soldiers present.
“Hi, there! Good morning! It’s going to be fun. You’ll make new friends,” he would tell those who weren’t quite sure about leaving mom or dad for the day.
Sgt. Wolf had previously been to the campus during the 2021-2022 school year for their water day.
“It’s fun to see and be able to help out the families that are dropping off the kids. I used to be a Sunday School teacher and teach kindergarteners. So it brings back joy of being able to bring joy to the kids, especially on the first day with the excitement and any nervousness.”
Wolf also believes doing things like showing up on the first day of school is a great way to keep a good relationship with the community.
“It’s important for us to be able to support the community as a whole, as well as the (military) members that are here, and that they know they still have the support from the base.”
Across the district, much of the same occurred as parents dropped off their students and buses arrived from their routes throughout Copperas Cove.
The students were also met by officers from the Copperas Cove Police Department at various campuses, who greeted them as they arrived for the first day of classes.
CCISD’s Director of Communications, Wendy Sledd, said that the first-day enrollment total for the district was 7,509. By Wednesday, the second day of school, enrollment had climbed to 7,778.
Students are still continuing to enroll at CCISD for the new school year.
“Being a district serving military families, we will continue to see noticeable increases in enrollment through Labor Day as families continue to move into the area,” Sledd said.