Parents, students excited for first day back in Columbia Co.

COLUMBIA COUNTY. (WRDW/WAGT) - The pandemic turned everything upside down for teachers when they transitioned to online learning.

Now, as open houses welcome parents back in, some are very excited.

The school year for Columbia County is two days away, and this year, it’s the parents excited for students to be back in the classrooms.

Since the pandemic, class parties, and field days were limited for families to cut down on the COVID risk. But this year is a brand-new chapter.

“This is huge. Parents can come inside; we can actually be a part of all the kids when they do the fun run. When they have family events, you don’t just have one parent or no parent, everyone can come in,” said Parkway Elementary School PTO President Jennifer Dougherty.

She said with restrictions loosening and with more volunteers ready to help out, it’ll be a lot smoother.

“The last couple of years, it was a lot more work because you could only let so many people in. This time it’s all hands on deck. Now we know if we properly set expectations, communicate well, participate well, the whole ship is running smoothly,” she said.

This new change can add a little confusion which made open house even more vital.

“This time, I was on the other side. I got to introduce a lot of new things to parents who had questions and wanted to know the best way of communication. It was nice to pour that back in,” she said.

Even though Dougherty is ready for Thursday, her daughter is even more ready.

“Super pumped. I was a little nervous at first. My daughter’s young. She’s going into first grade, and this is still new, but she is so excited, and that changed the whole thing. She’s pumped about her classes and teacher so we’re really really excited,” said Dougherty.

Columbia County parents wanting to volunteer, visit CCBOE.

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