By Staff
STUDENTS RETURN – Oakland Heights Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Barbara Young places books on students desks Wednesday in preparation for the first day of school.Photo by Lynette Wilson/The Meridian Star
By Lynette Wilson / staff writer
Aug. 8, 2002
Meridian High School history teacher Jonas Crenshaw looked over his class list Wednesday in preparation for the first day of school.
More than 900 teachers from Meridian and Lauderdale County hope they are ready for today's arrival of nearly 14,000 students.
In Lauderdale County, teachers at Northeast Elementary School had it tough.
Fourth-grade teacher Peggy Coleman said she would probably stay at school until midnight getting her classroom ready.
Shirley Burton, an economics teacher at MHS and chairman of the Social Studies Department, said she spent the day attending meetings and conducting new teacher orientations.
Burton said she's pleased that a required government class will be taught in the 12th grade this year instead of the ninth.
Circuit Clerk Donna Jill Johnson dropped off 400 voter registration forms for Burton to distribute to her students.
To sum up, Burton said: "Our responsibility is to help each child learn as much as he or she can. If we fall short of that responsibility, we've failed."