Secondary school principal David Macri welcoming his middle school and high school students to the 2019-2020 school year.
Drew Larrabee, shop class instructor and cross country coach, recently received a letter from Florida resident Bob McNally. McNally and Larrabee met on an excursion to Anan. Enclosed with the letter was a $500 check. McNally explained in his letter that Larrabee's stories about his shop class brought back many fond memories of his childhood. "Due to budget cuts they don't even offer shop classes in Florida," the letter reads. "Our kids are really missing out. Enclosed is a check that I would like you to use on a class project with your kids." Larrabee said that he plans to use the money for robotics kits for the shop class.
Tawney Crowley, a recent hire by the school district, will serve as the high school art teacher and middle school home economics teacher this year. Pictured here is Crowley welcoming students to her art class.
Wrangell's 2019-2020 school year kicked off early the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 27. The new school year will run until May 21, according to the school calendar, with winter break scheduled from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3.
"It's always really exciting when the kids come back," said Technology Director Matt Gore. "Watching the excitement in their faces because of the social interactions, the learning, that's my favorite part."
Being the first day of school, many first period classes in the middle school and high school were kept short or were briefly interrupted for an assembly meeting in the high school gym. David Macri, principal of Wrangell's middle and high school, wanted to start off the year by making sure everyone understood what was expected of them. This will be Macri's second year as secondary school principal.
"Be on time, be prepared, be polite, be safe, be engaged," Macri said. "That covers a lot of ground, and our teachers will go over their expectations with you throughout the day."
The students are not the only ones with set expectations, though. Macri said that the kids should expect several things from their teachers, school staff, and himself. They should always be on their best behavior in school, he said, and that any potential changes to the district's schedule or practices will be made upon wide input and what is determined to be the best idea, not just changing for the sake of change. Thirdly, Macri emphasized the importance of keeping things civil even when there is a disagreement. Lastly, he said that everyone should have fun this year.
"School should be fun," he said. "I've been doing this 35 years. I can retire, I can walk right now, but I enjoy what I'm doing. There's no way I'm walking away from you folks, not until somebody tells me to get out, because I like you, and I like this school, and I like this community. It's a good place, have fun. Hold us to those expectations, because we're going to hold you to those expectations, as well."
Before closing out the assembly, Macri encouraged the high school seniors to start giving their college preparations some serious thought and work, and also encouraged the rest of the class to work hard and smart this year.
After that, he dismissed most of the school save for the sixth grade class. Stikine Middle School has a class of roughly two dozen sixth graders this year, fresh from Evergreen Elementary School. Macri wanted to speak with them directly, welcoming them to middle school and to lay out a few rules for the new year. They are expected to be in the gym or in the commons when they first arrive to school in the mornings, he said, and computers are not allowed out at lunch. Another rule, he said, is that sixth graders are allowed to go downtown for lunch, but their parents will have to talk to him about it first.
"Why do we say be on time, be prepared, be polite, be safe, and be engaged?" Macri
asked. "Why? There's rules in life ... There are rules, there are laws that people need to abide by. We're preparing you for that."
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