Families share mix of emotions on first day

After a summer of sleeping in, 6-year-old Brionna Whitson woke up at 6 a.m. Wednesday in anticipation of the first day of class at Threadgill Elementary School in Sheffield.

"I wanted to come to school early," said Brionna, who mentioned the finer points of education - field trips, recess and trips to the library.

"You also get to learn, right?" her mother, Tiffany Whitson, asked.

Exasperated parents and excited children arrived at school, some for their first day ever. Some arrived an hour early.

"The first day is always the wildest day," said Threadgill Principal Michael South.

"Parents and students are all anxious."

After 8 a.m., most of the 314 students from pre-kindergarten through second grade were inside the building.

Cliesha Richardson dropped off her 6-year-old daughter, Eccentriq, who said, "I'm very happy."

"I'm scared because it's my baby and I don't want to leave her," said Richardson, who'd just gotten off work after a 12-hour shift at Shoals Hospital.

And in preparation for school, Richardson said, "We read books and talked about the anxiety thing. The anxiety talk was probably more for me."

The day wasn't just for anxious moms.

Danny Hartford took his 5-year-old daughter, Raini, to her first day of school. Her brother, Jacob, is two years older and helped his younger sister prepare for classes.

Hartford, whose family moved to the area from Florida, said it was hectic getting Raini ready.

"It's my first time with her at school," said Hartford, who added that Jacob's mother helped with his son's first day of school by buying school supplies.

"I didn't think it would be this hard. I'm happy she's going to school," he said.

At times, the children could hardly contain their excitement.

Five-year-old Shelby Andrews greeted her first day of school with enthusiasm, saying, "I just like to go to school a lot."

Her parents, Stacy and Kevin, said they did a lot of shopping with a full-page list of things to buy.

"She's been looking forward to school since she's been about 2," Kevin Andrews said. "She used to see the school bus and say 'I want to ride the school bus.' "

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Muscle Shoals high schoolers settled in to a new school year Wednesday as well.

For the ninth-graders at their new school, the day was filled with some degree of uncertainty. For seniors, the mood was more one of elation.

For brothers Christopher and Hunter Craigge, Lady Luck played a funny trick in landing the two in the same lunch period at Muscle Shoals High School.

Otherwise, Christopher, a ninth-grader and new to the school, and Hunter, a senior, might never see each other once the bell rings to begin the day.

But there they were Wednesday, just two tables apart. Each said the school day had been pretty much like the start of any other year.

"It's been just fantastic, as always," Hunter said, with a hint of sarcasm and a nod toward his buddies sitting across the table. "I know it's my senior year and all, but it's still a full year of school and I've dreaded it like all the others."

As for Christopher, the move up to high school wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking as he'd been warned.

"Everybody's been really nice," he said. "I don't know the halls yet, but I've not been too lost today."

Ninth-grader Cort Mansell didn't have the same good fortune Wednesday. In fact, he admitted starting the day by taking the long route to his homeroom.

"I kind of got confused thinking my homeroom was my first block class," he said with a laugh.

"All I can say is that the eighth-graders (at his former middle school) need to get in all the pushing and shoving and being big and bad that they can, now, because when they get to this school as freshmen, they'll be the ones pushed around."

As for the lunchroom food, Mansell said it's not too bad.

"It's really just like it's always been. I mean, the same frozen food truck seems to roll in here," he said.

Students in Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Colbert County schools returned Wednesday. Florence resumes classes today and Lauderdale County students go Friday.

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@TimesDaily.com.

Lisa Singleton-Rickman can be reached at 740-5735 or lisa.singleton-rickman@TimesDaily.com.