Sparta — June Hopkins was all business on Monday morning, gripping the straps of her brand-new backpack and beelining through the halls of Ridgeview Elementary like a girl on a mission.
It was June’s first day of kindergarten, and she couldn’t wait for it to get started.
June was one of three Sparta Area Schools students SNN spoke with on Monday to see what the first day is like for a kindergartner, a sixth-grader brand new to middle school, and a high-school senior starting off their final year in the district.
Of the three students, June was the most gung-ho, and the most unreservedly excited, about the start of school.
“I’m gonna play a little bit, and read some books, and color!” June said, summarizing the day ahead.
“Do you remember where your spot is?” June’s mom, Lindsey Hopkins, asked her daughter when they reached the classroom of teacher Olivia Ravell. June gave an enthusiastic nod and headed over to a desk in the back corner of the room — a spot that had been reserved just for her during a recent kindergarten boot camp event.
With a proud flourish and a beaming smile, June gestured to a section of the desktop that had her name written on it in big, clear, black letters.
After a quick hug with Mom, June was ready to go.
Hopkins, who’d braved the parent drop-off line and walked June to her classroom, said that despite the day being a “a little bittersweet,” she was “super excited” for June’s new start.
“She’s been asking me all weekend, ‘When is Monday? When is Monday?’” Hopkins said. “I hope that she gets to make some new friends, and that she’s kind and brave and learns new things.”
Making the Move to the Middle School
Sydney Zielinski, a sixth-grader who’d just made the move from Appleview Elementary to the comparably massive Sparta Middle School, was a bit more reserved than June. After all, her world had just gotten a whole lot bigger, and that can be a lot to process.
“I’m nervous and excited, because it’s new, and it’s a bigger school,” Sydney said. “There’s, like, an upstairs and downstairs! But I’m also excited about changing classes. In elementary school you don’t really change classes, you’re just in the same class.”
Though she’d found herself in a much bigger space, Sydney said she was navigating the change pretty well, and feeling confident about the year ahead.
She said she’s eager to make new friends and have new experiences.
“I’m excited for accelerated math — learning a little bit harder math than I’ve learned in the past,” she said.
She also loves volleyball, and said she might try out for the team when she’s in seventh grade.
Last First Day
For senior Brayley May, the first day of her last year at Sparta High School brought a mix of emotions.
“It’s very bittersweet. I’ve made so many memories here, and I’m just so excited to make new ones,” Brayley said. “I’m excited that it’s my last year, and I’m also sad because I’m starting this whole new chapter of my life, so it’s kind of nerve-racking.”
On one hand, Brayley is looking forward to the future. She’s starting to think about which college she’d like to attend — Hope College and Grand Valley State University currently top the list — and she’s pretty sure she wants to study elementary education, following in the footsteps of her mom, Ridgeview kindergarten teacher Kensey May.
But at the same time, there’s a lot she’s going to miss about her time at Sparta, and she’s going to make a point to savor the time she has left with the district.
“I’ll kind of miss the familiarity — just knowing what my everyday life is going to be like, and the comfort in that, because I’ve known these people all my life,” she said. “I’m also going to miss just the fun everyday things — talking with my friends and everything.
“I’ll also miss Homecoming. Homecoming’s really fun.”
Another high-school highlight she’ll look back on fondly is her time with Kent ISD’s Student Leadership Community.
“It’s honestly been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” Brayley said. “I love just being able to share my opinion and other students’ voices.”
On her last first day, Brayley could recall pretty clearly what it was like to be a kindergartner just starting out, or a sixth-grader getting accustomed to a much bigger building.
‘I’ll kind of miss the familiarity — just knowing what my everyday life is going to be like, and the comfort in that.’
— senior Brayley May
“I remember being so excited for kindergarten. But when I got older, I just remember my first day of middle school was so scary and so nerve-racking,” she said. “I didn’t know how to wrap my head around it. But once I got into the flow it was super easy, super fun.”
Asked if she had any advice for younger students like June and Sydney, Brayley didn’t hesitate to share some words of wisdom.
“Get involved, because you don’t know how many memories you’ll make if you try new things and just get involved with everything,” she said.
And, for those feeling nervous about their first day in a new school, Brayley said, “Just take it day by day and it’ll all work out.”
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