THUNDER BAY – Two months of summer vacation was gone in a flash on Wednesday mornings.
Students across the city returned to the classroom, ready for another school year and all that comes with it, including homework, extracurricular activities and fun with friends new and old.
Unlike a lot of his classmates, St. Patrick High School Grade 11 student Ben Furtado said he was looking forward to be back roaming the hallways of the south-side school, despite the freedom of the past couple of months.
“Most kids are pretty bummed out about it, but I’m kind of excited,” he said. “It’s great putting on the St. Pat’s uniform every morning. I love being at school. I’m not going to lie. It’s a fun time and everything.”
Classmate Breanne Yesno, 16, wasn’t quite as enthusiastic, but said even on Day 1 it was pretty quick to settle into the usual school-time routine.
“At first it was a little hard, but then you start thinking about all the things you get to do, like all the sports and activities and you get to learn and it becomes really exciting,” she said.
“The first day is really hard. It’s a little tiring.”
Both teens had advice for the incoming freshman class. First and foremost, get involved with the school community, they said.
“There’s lots of things to do here. It can be a little nerve-wracking getting involved in things that you’re not familiar with, but St. Pat’s really offers everything you want to do, from musicals to sports to student council,” Yesno said.
“You can really find anything that you’re comfortable with.”
It’s the quickest way to get comfortable, the 16-year-old Furtado said.
“You make friends, you get accepted into the school and you get looked at as a role model for sure. Just don’t be nervous. There are a lot of people who are here to help you,” he said.
School principal Kevin Koster said there’s been plenty of work behind the scenes to get the school ready for opening day.
“It’s a busy time of year because basically you have 1,100 kids coming back off of summer vacation, looking forward to school, so we want to make sure everything runs smoothly with all of their timetables so they’ve got rooms to go to,” Koster said.
“It’s a big team effort here.”
Koster said it will take a few days for all students to completely settle into being back studying, but he expects it will be business as usual by week’s end.
