Word of the year: Opportunity

It was a day for the record books.

After pushing back the official start date for the 2021-2022 school year, Summerland kindergarten through 12th-grade students reported to class Monday under one roof, 16 months after construction began, and nearly three and one-half months ahead of the original completion date, at the cornfield school located at the intersection of 513 Avenue and Summerland Road.

School buses, shuttles and cars led a steady of procession, delivering students to the unloading zone. Smiles, a few signs of apprehension and a lot of high fives were exhibited en route to the entrance.

Students gathered in the Bobcat gymnasium for an opening assembly. Following the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by Hadley Cheatum, Scott Poese, of KBRX welcomed students and staff.

Poese began broadcasting live from the site at 6:30 a.m.

"We're excited to be here for your first day of school at the brand new Summerland Public School facility," he said.

Superintendent Kyle Finke told the crowd he was excited for the day.

"I think a lot of you have been dreaming about it for a long time."

Finke introduced board of education members and recognized their work and dedication to bring the new site to fruition. He also credited members of the Hausmann Construction team for their drive to complete the project ahead of schedule.

"This is a beautiful facility. Your voters of this district have put you in charge of this building," the superintendent said.

Finke said he selected "opportunity" as the word of the year, setting a tone for all possibilities available in the district.

"I was given an opportunity to be your next superintendent. The staff was given the opportunity to lead you in the classroom ... Students you finally get to meet new people and be in class with new people for the first time. This is exciting stuff. It's going to be able to provide you with learning opportunities ... There's some really good stuff in your future."

It was a day for the record books.

come to school daily "with the same smile you had on your faces today, because everyone was smiling ... and being excited about your education because it's going to be a great opportunity for you."

Principal Greg Appleby thanked the everyone involved in the process, from community members to the construction team, "for making this the best K-12 facility in the state."

He stressed that the project was built with one goal in mind.

"It was built for you. It was built for you by your parents, your uncles, your relatives who live in this district, so take advantage of that. Some of you are only going to be here for a short period, a year. Some of you are going to be here longer, 13 years. If the preschoolers were here, it would be 14 years. Make the most of it ... The possibilities for you are endless," Appleby said.

"Make history or be history."

That's the message presented by elementary principal Cathy Cooper.

"Today, this year and beyond, we have the opportunity to both make history and then be in history. We are making history. Three communities coming together, in this awesome new facility. New staff, new friends, new everything and we get to determine the culture, climate and legacy of this new school," she said.

Cooper said the administrative team has been working on history boards, which will contain information about the communities that comprise the Summerland district. The boards will be displayed in the entryway.

"We're very proud of the history of those schools ... This is a brand new school and we get to create a brand new history. What an opportunity. Let's start to make history, starting today, so that in the years to come, we are a history that everyone is proud of, a Bobcat history. Let's go, Bobcats," Cooper said.

Three instructors - Emily Heithoff, Dan Roeber and Chantelle Dempster - spoke on behalf of the staff, encouraging students to take advantage of the "firsts" they will experience in the new building.

Seniors Madison Melcher, Emily Nordby and Dillon Moser addressed the assembly.

Melcher said she was "super excited" to be able to join friends from the other schools. Moser said the school will provide an "awesome opportunity for students."

Nordby thanked everyone who spent "countless hours" creating the opportunity for students.

"I know how much work was put into this and I'm just really thankful - I'm heartbroken that I'm (only) going to spend a year in here," Nordby said.

She encouraged the kindergarten students to appreciate the opportunities.

"I wish I could be here for longer," she said.

Board of education president Ed Nordby told students he liked the theme of opportunity.

"I think that many opportunities have been given to everyone by all of us coming together. We have opportunities of more class offerings ... There's everything offered in this school for all of us, whether it's speech, drama, music, athletics and the addition of more classes."