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Highlands Today

Parents, Kids Prep For School

Marc Valero/Highlands Today

From left: Beckie and Daren Townsend look through orientation paperwork Thursday at Woodlawn Elementary School as their daughter, 6-year-old Jessica, looks through a picture book. School starts Monday in Highlands County.

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: August 16, 2008

SEBRING - Jessica Townsend's favorite subject is coloring.

At Woodlawn Elementary School's orientation Thursday afternoon, the 6-year-old said houses and rainbows are her favorite pictures to color.

She may get a chance to be creative with crayons, but when Jessica starts first grade on Monday, she will have other important subjects to work on like reading, writing and arithmetic.

Her parents, Beckie and Daren, were already studying - all the school orientation materials.

"We are ready for first grade," Beckie said. "We've bought uniforms, school clothes, shoes; we are ready to go."

Beckie said her daughter has been preparing for a week by going to bed early and waking up early (6:30 a.m.).

Daren is taking next week off from his job to drive his daughter to and from school.

Woodlawn Elementary first-grade teacher Shelly Word said she always asks parents how their child is getting home on the first day of school.

"I don't want to lose any of these little guys," she said.

Parents usually ask about lunch and homework and if their child needs any special school supplies for her class, Word said. The school supply list is complete; no other items are needed. "We try to make it so they just show up Monday and take off."

Also, some parents will say their son or daughter is shy, but once the child gets into a crowd of kids they warm up and they're great, she said.

Lettering on her bulletin board states: "catch the first-grade wave."

With frogs featured on her classroom walls, Word has been trying to find one more of the green amphibians to ride the wave.

"Frogs are my thing," she said. "I've been for a whole week looking to see if I could find a clip art frog on a surfboard."

Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Mike Averyt said Friday it's too early to estimate the first-day enrollment.

A lot of parents register their kindergarteners on the first day, he said. Also, parents are still deciding whether or not to transfer their children under School Choice.

New Entrances/Exits At Sebring High School

Due to the Sebring Parkway construction some of the entrances and exits to Sebring High School have been closed.

Buses and seniors will enter and exit the campus from the parkway at the traffic light near the Children's Advocacy Center.

The parent drop-off and staff entrance and exit is on Kenilworth Boulevard.

"The big thing we all feel is the entrance to the main office area where the parent pickup is," said Assistant Principal Jim Howard. The entrance had been one-way, but now it's two-way with cars also exiting at the same location.

The underclassmen entrance is on Kenilworth Boulevard, east of the parent and staff entrance.

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