UPDATED: Groton Students Go Back To School

Groton Public School students went back to school this morning, after two delays in the start date due to Tropical Storm Irene.

Superintendent Paul Kadri said the district expected just under 5,000 students, but saw more registrations than anticipated today.

“We did have a lot of parents register (children) this morning,” he said. Kadri said it may be a week before the final numbers are known.

Children said they were happy to be back.

“I missed school,” said Samantha Schiefelbein, 5, a first grader at Mary Morrisson Elementary. The school registered 370 children, including 60 new this year. The elementary serves more than 90 percent military families, and Principal Monica S. Franzone said she expects to see 100 families leave or arrive during the course of the school year.

Mary Morrisson has three new teachers for whom this is their first assignment: Matthew Serven, teaching second grade; Jilian Casadei, also teaching second grade, and Aaron Ribchinsky, teaching special education.

Angie Atkinson brought her daughter, Kyra, 5, for her kindergarten screening. Kyra's older brothers, 15 and 12, are attending Ella T. Grasso Technical High School and Fitch Middle School today.

“I’ve never had an empty house,” she said. “I’m happy now, because I know that’s what she wants. But I won’t be happy Friday when she’s not home.”

Charles Barnum Elementary enrolled about 390 students. Principal Valerie Nelson estimated 20 percent are new. They're fitting right in, she said.

“The teachers just know how to make new students feel welcome,” she said. “You couldn’t go in there and pick out the new students.”

Logan Hunt, 10, said he was glad to be in fifth grade.

“When I was in kindergarten and all the fifth graders walked by, I just wanted to be there someday,” he said.

Matt Bautista, 11, is the oldest of five children. He said his younger brothers had various feelings about school.

The 5-year-old was happy about it. The 8-year-old was nervous.

Matt said he told him, “There’s nothing to be scared of.”

At Pleasant Valley Elementary, Mia Kupeka, 6, was “practicing for lunch” with her first grade classmates.

Some of the children attended half-day kindergarten last year and don’t know the lunch routine, staff explained.

“I was scared to come here,” Mia said. “I didn’t want to leave my mom.”

Her classmate, Luke Lambert, 5, said he was excited.

Pleasant Valley registered 353 children and added a full-time math specialist, Ada Allen, this year, Principal Kathleen Miner said.  The school Parent Teacher Organization also held a coffee at 9 a.m. for new and returning parents.

“September brings out the best in us,” Miner said. “The excitement of having a new class and a new beginning… it’s unique to the teaching profession.”