Bright new faces, many holding brand new, and slightly too-big backpacks bought during the back-to-school shopping craze, streamed through the front doors of Ave Maria Elementary School, along Anthem Parkway, for the first time Tuesday morning, Aug. 11.
A line of excited kids dressed in polo shirts and holding the hands of their parents started forming at the front entrance of the brand-new school at 7:30 a.m. as upbeat music played from an over 3-foot speaker while a large red cardinal, which students will help name, waved at kids and weaved through the sea of waist-height students.
After waiting patiently, the staff finally opened the doors at 7:50 a.m. as “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from the TROLLS movie started playing from the speaker.
And, the Collier County Public Schools superintendent, Leslie Ricciardelli was there to celebrate with the inaugural class of the district’s newest school, and the 33rd elementary school in the district, as they arrived at the drop-off area by foot, bike, car and even golf cart, a popular mode of transportation in the small Ave Maria community.
The school, which was constructed at the price of over $65 million with a design made to allow future expansion, had a designated drop-off area for golf carts and cars, but many parents chose to park their cars and walk their children inside, which was allowed for the first day only.
A steady stream of children and their parents arrived at the front doors and were ushered in by staff members after brief stops to take pictures in front of the front doors until the first bell rang at 8:20 a.m. to signal the impending official start of the first day of school at 8:25 a.m.
After walking through the front doors for the very first time, Ave Maria students and their parents made their way to the cafeteria, directed by the cardinal, sheriff’s deputies and teacher, where Principal Beverly Budzynski, spoke into a microphone telling the kid to “Have a friend and make a friend,” as they sat at lunch tables with their classes eating breakfast.
Stragglers hurried in from the parking lot until 8:30 a.m.
What does the new school mean for Ave Maria residents?
The inaugural student body, made up of just under 400 students, less than half of the two-story school’s 931 student capacity, had plenty of room to move around inside the brand new school and its 44 classrooms.
But, for those almost 400 students and 73 staff members, the opening of Ave Maria Elementary means a lot to them and their families who no longer have to send their children 20 minutes away to Estates Elementary in a different town.
“The kids are right here in the backyard of their parents,” Ricciardelli said. “I think it’s a comfort for people to know that their children are right here, they can get to them quickly, they can to and from the school. But, it’s also easier for parents to be involved and stay involved.”
Ricciardelli said she hopes to see an increase in parent involvement in the school as parents really feel like the school is their school and their community, and want to make it the best it can be.
“I think that it’s pretty rare to have something like this, and this school is spectacular,” she said. “They do feel like this whole thing belongs to them.”
And, the growth isn’t over, with the large piece of land next door to the elementary school eyed for a middle school, so kids in the community can attend school inside the community until eighth grade.
The back to school excitement on Tuesday morning was not just in Ave Maria as every other school in the district started school Tuesday as well, and Ricciardelli couldn’t be more excited to see what the school year will hold for those students.
“I’m excited for the opportunities our kids are going to have. I’m excited for the fact that we have so many kids returning to school,” she said.
Safety in Collier County schools
Ricciardelli mentioned that CCPS is not experiencing a decline in enrollment like other counties, including Lee County.
“It validates that fact that the parents feel safe to send their most prized possession to us, and it really makes me just feel like we’re doing great things for kids and for families and for the community as a whole,” she said.
And, part of that feeling of safety in Collier County schools, is the fact that every school in the district has at least one armed Collier County Sheriff’s deputy acting as a school resource officer, she said.
And, on the first day of school at Ave Maria, several more were present helping to direct cars and students, along with Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, who gave kids and parents high fives as they walked inside.
“We make sure that we put in place everything we can to ensure the safety of our kids,” he said.
In fact, the department went through a full week of training prior to the start of school, updating deputies on changes from past years and refreshing them on last year’s training.
“I think one of the things our community, along with the school system, all together has built a safe and strong system,” he said.
All summer, the school and the sheriff’s office has worked together to implement safety measures, which Rambosk said has put them in a good position for the first day of school.
You can reach Naples Daily News reporter Alexa Ryan at Alexa.Ryan@naplesnews.com. Follow her on X @AlexaRyan_ or on Instagram @alexaryanreports.
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Ave Maria Elementary welcomes inaugural class for first day of school
Reporting by Alexa Ryan, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alexa Ryan, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
