The Final Bell: Grandview Elementary staff reflect on school's final day

So, how do administrators and teachers approach a school year knowing it’s the last in what many would say is a second home?

For first-year principal Brian Wooten, the main goal of the year was preparing students for the next steps in their education, and their life.

“I really hope that they’ve taken away the characteristics of what it takes to be an eagle, which is to soar; being safe, being orderly, being accepting, being respectful, and that they take that into their new schools and show what it is to be a Grandview Eagle, which is to soar and be leaders wherever they go.�

With school closing, ‘learning doesn’t stop’

Wooten also said that with most of his staff also working their first — and only — year at Grandview, they focused on ensuring their students were prepared academically.

“It’s been a big focus for us. Although our school is closing this year, our halls are closing this year, the learning doesn’t stop. After this year, the kids are still going to learn next year, and we want to prepare them to be successful wherever they go,� he said. “So, our goal is to prepare our kids, which we have done to be successful next year with the test scores and with the curriculum that they will be learning. So, we believe that they will soar away and do well in their schools.�

Wooten said that teachers and administrators have tried to make the year as fun as they could and put the sad thoughts in the back of their minds, all the while knowing that this day was inevitable.

“Especially this week, it’s been sad. Students and staff are both sad and we’re just trying to make the best of it and continue with what we’ve done all year, which is soar.�

Many teachers felt the same as Wooten, including second-grade teacher Jessica Vowell, who said the day was bittersweet for many of reasons.

“We get so attached to these kids, we put so much work into helping them grow and learn. And then, when it’s time to say goodbye ... it’s always hard a little bit,� she said.

Vowell said that one of the things she’ll remember from her time at Grandview is the familial sense she felt in the halls.

“We’re all going to miss each other — the staff, the students — and one of the things that made the school so special is the culture,� she said. “And it’s great to know we made such a lasting impression.�

What’s next

Current Grandview students will attend either Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary or Edgewood Elementary based on their home address.

Grandview was not the only area school to close for good Thursday, as Marmet Elementary and George C. Weimer Elementary in St. Albans also shut their doors due to financial constraints. Marmet Elementary students will be consolidated into nearby Chesapeake Elementary and George C. Weimer students into either Alban Elementary or Bridgeview Elementary.

For Wooten and Vowell, Thursday was the end of one chapter but the start of another, as they will both be working at Mary C. Snow Elementary next school year, where they hope to see their former eagles soaring.