PHOTOS: First Day of School in Howard County

Plenty of nervous smiles and shiny shoes walked to school for the first day.

Today is the first day of school for students in Howard County Public Schools, which means new shoes are strapped, pencils are sharpened and tears were shed–by nervous kids and reminiscent parents. Monday morning was in the mid-70s, so plenty of kids and parents walked to school for the first day. Nonetheless, traffic still got hectic in some spots. Have a picture from the first day of school? Add it by pressing the green button below the photo gallery or email your photo to Brian Hooks at brian.hooks@patch.com "The chaos is crazy," said Jonathan Davis, principal of Bollman Bridge Elementary School, who spent much of the morning balancing hand shakes and directing traffic, as cars backed up in both directions for nearly a mile along Savage…

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Lisa Rossi

3:28 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012

Such cute photos! Keep them coming! What a great way to tell the story of the first day of school in Howard County. You can add a photo by clicking on the big green button under the photo gallery.   more ›

Police Stepping Up Traffic Enforcement as Schools Open

Howard County Police will focus on traffic safety around school zones for the first couple weeks of the school year.

Students return to school on Monday, and Howard County Police will be increasing their presence around schools for the first couple weeks of the school year, according to a department press release. Officers will target drivers speeding in school zones, enforce seat belt laws and trail school buses to make sure vehicles stop when the red lights are flashing during a drop off–-a violation that can earn drivers a $570 fine. "We hope that police presence around the schools will send a message to drivers to slow down," said Police Chief William McMahon in a statement. "Students throughout the region will be walking and driving to and from school and we want to make sure every one of them arrives safely." In addition to increased patrols around…

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POLL: Back-to-School Spending

Sales are expected to jump this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

  $688.62. That is the amount the average person with children in grades kindergarten to 12th grade is expected to spend this year on back-to-school shopping, according to the National Retail Federation's annual survey.  Last year, the survey predicted families would spend $603.63 on back-to-school shopping. Parents surveyed said they would spend the most on clothing, accessories and electronics as the first day approaches, which for students in Howard County public schools is Aug. 27. The average person with children in grades K-12 will spend $246.10 on clothes, $217.88 on electronics, $129.20 on shoes, and $95.44 on school supplies (e.g., notebooks, pencils and backpacks), according to the National Retail Federation. In addition, about …

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New Teacher Prepares for First Day on the Job

Brittany Francowiak has five years of schooling and fellowship experience which she hopes will help her budding career.

Wilde Lake High School Assistant Principal John Seibel says a teacher’s first day is like driving a car alone for the first time. “You know all the technical things to do and you’ve had practice, possibly years of it, but now you’re putting everything you know to the test all by yourself,” Seibel said. This week, the Howard County Public School System welcomes new teachers to the county and to teaching altogether. Among the three brand-new teachers joining Wilde Lake High School this year is Brittany Francowiak, 23, a University of Pittsburgh graduate who will teach two sections of Gifted and Talented biology and three sections of Introduction to Ecosystems. Francowiak set her sites on entering the education field several years ago. “As a …

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Mom On The Run

The Back-To-School Supply List Blues

I don’t remember carrying my body weight in school supplies when I was a child.

I can tell it’s time to get ready for the coming school year. My middle schooler posted his supply list as his status update on Facebook last night. I used to love shopping for back-to-school supplies as a kid. I still love buying new clothes and office supplies for work, just like I enjoy seeing my kids delight in their new outfits and backpacks. But school shopping for and with kids? Not so much. My main beef is the supply lists. First of all, I don’t remember carrying my body weight in school supplies when I showed up at the school door on day one as a child. Buying a few folders and supplies for each kid would be fun, like buying them toys. (Okay, maybe you don’t think school supplies are as fun as toys, but I do. You should see me at …

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Howard County Libraries Give Kindergartners Dry Run at the Teary First Day

Kids can learn about the first day and sit on the bus before the school year starts.

The Howard County Public School System is projecting more than 3,000 kindergartners will enter the county’s 40 public elementary schools at the end of the month, and nearly 1,000 of them will be prepped with the help of Howard County Libraries. For five years, "Kindergarten Here We Come!" has given soon-to-be kindergartners and parents a practice swing at their first day of school. From this week through Aug. 24, parents in Howard County can register their child for this hour-long program, which organizers hope will allow the real first day of school to go smoothly. “We are talking to the children a little bit about getting ready for kindergarten,” said Susan Morris, early childhood education specialist for HCLS. Unlike most children’s …

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Back To School: Donate School Supplies to Kids in Need

Not all students get excited about buying school supplies--because they can't afford them. Donating supplies can help all children get off to a good start.

The first day of school for students in Howard County is just three weeks away. For many kids, that means it's time to start rampaging through the aisles at an office supply store in search of the trendiest backpack and multi-colored highlighters. But for plenty of students in Howard County, school supplies aren't trendy accessories. They are a necessity that families can’t afford.  In Howard County, 14.5 percent of families qualify for reduced or free lunches -- the income requirements are slightly above the poverty levels set by the federal government. For example, a three-person household qualifies if the household income is $33,874 or less. There are several organizations in Howard County that collect donations of new or unused school …

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