UPDATED PHOTO GALLERY: Back to school
Scenes from Rantoul, St. Joseph, Danville, Urbana, Mahomet, Champaign, Westville and beyond as area schools welcomed the return of students this week.
Two days before classes start districtwide, Urbana celebrated Opening Institute Day Monday for all staff at the middle school gym, with shoutouts to student leaders (that’s Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum introducing senior Mycal Turner), prizes for creative attire (Tiger spirit, most outrageous and dress-to-impress among the categories) and recognition of employees celebrating milestone anniversaries.
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Gifford Grade School students will return to a building with a lot of new purple and yellow paint. Here, kindergarten teacher Alison Barnes updates the ‘Soar Like An Eagle’ sign in the K-2 hallway.
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The Paxton-Buckley-Loda Navigators — a mix of district veterans and the first- and second-year teacher they mentor — got together for a fun-filled day of activities ahead of the start of school.
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That’s Fisher Grade School Principal Jake Palmer up front and high school Principal Jon Kelly two behind, leading a caravan of golf carts that toured the village as part of new teacher orientation.
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Reporting for orientation in Cerro Gordo: new district teachers, from left, Christian Wilkey, Dawnaya Key, Marissa Gibbens, Heather Yowell, Rachel Allen, Ashley Spent, Vanessa Gower and Renee Probst.
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When students report for classes at Villa Grove, it will be to a school with all new windows and doors.
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At Monticello, the upperclassmen sat in the front of the class last week, speaking with incoming ninth-graders during orientation.
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Rantoul City Schools brought in Chicago-based conscious discipline instructor Tanyelle Hannah to work with staff last week.
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The theme of Oakwood Grade School's first day back for staff? The wild west.
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After 30 long years, Countryside art teacher Brooke Kim finally has her own space. That’s her on the right, pictured alongside her sister.
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The Rev. Andru O’Brien, the chaplain at St. Thomas More, leads staff in a school blessing last week prior to the return of students.
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Some of the new artwork on display at Danville's Mark Denman Elementary.
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Welcome back, from your 2023 Centennial Chargers.
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The kindergarten team at Westville’s Judith Giacoma Elementary School, from left: Katelyn Hettmansberger, Stephanie Pearman, Amy Pacot, Madison Greenlee, Jennifer O’Herron and Rachel McFadden.
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The first-grade team at Westville’s Judith Giacoma Elementary School, from left: Hunter Howard, Jessica Miller, Mary Key, Hanna Andrews and Megan Mitchell.
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The second-grade team at Westville’s Judith Giacoma Elementary School gathers for a group picture: from left: Christi Denton, Amy Lynch, Amy Johnson, Madonna Poggendorf, Alyssa Bell and Kayla Smith.
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Principal Kendra Kendra Bonam welcomes students back to Champaign's Bottenfield Elementary.
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Superintendent Shelia Boozer was part of the greeting party as students returned to Unit 4 schools.
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The first day of school included plenty of hugs throughout Unit 4.
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Two days before classes start districtwide, Urbana celebrated Opening Institute Day Monday for all staff at the middle school gym, with shoutouts to student leaders (that’s Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum introducing senior Mycal Turner), prizes for creative attire (Tiger spirit, most outrageous and dress-to-impress among the categories) and recognition of employees celebrating milestone anniversaries.
Urbana School District staff cheer for student leaders as superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum introduced them during an all-staff assembly in the Urbana Middle School gymnasium.
There were smiles aplenty on day one of school at Danville's Mark Denman Elementary.
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English teacher Kelly Adkins prepares for Wednesday’s return of students at Mahomet-Seymour.
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Special education teachers Garret Risley, left, and Nicole Hill get in some before students arrived Wednesday at Mahomet-Seymour.
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Mahomet-Seymour Spanish teacher Ellen Ericson on the eve of students returning.
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Fifth-graders Sophie Rank and Samantha Unger in front of Flour & Fire Pizza food truck outside Holy Cross School for Tuesday night’s open house.
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Eighth-graders Lara Rank, Faith Dean, Lucy Rank and McKenna Tucker enjoy ice cream from the Sidney Dairy Barn Moo Mobile at Holy Cross’ open house, held on the eve of classes starting at the Champaign school.
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The cheerleaders and band were the stars of the show at a back-to-school assembly at Blue Ridge High.
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Ludlow Elementary’s staff poses for the 2023-24 team picture.
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That’s one long ribbon Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum is about to cut to mark the grand reopening of Urbana’s new-and-improved Thomas Paine Elementary School.
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Morgan Murphy with her new first-graders at Danville's Mark Denman Elementary.
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The setting for the St. Joseph Grade School’s staff’s pre-open house team picture: in front of the snazzy new mural designed by artist Lisa Kesler with an assist from a committee of teachers and paid for by the parent teacher council.
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The staff at Pleasant Acres Elementary enjoy a cold treat on their first day back in Rantoul.
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In Mahomet, 'making new friends' was the early leader for most popular answer when Lincoln Trail Elementary students were asked to write what they looked forward to most.
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Meet the Salt Fork Storm’s new mascot — Bolt.
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