School bells ring in Cape Henlopen district
More than 6,000 Vikings filed into Cape district schools Sept. 8 to kick off the 2021-22 school year in person.
At Love Creek Elementary, Principal Lisa Morris and school counselor Beonica Duffy greeted students.
“Welcome, friends! Do you know where you’re going?” Morris asked, guiding students inside where teachers waited to lead them to their classrooms.
Duffy said she was excited to begin the new year.
“I’m ready to see all the kids back in the building,” she said.
Milton Elementary Teacher of the Year Panayi Stephanos said he was mostly looking forward to having all of his students back in the classroom and being in the newly renovated historic school.
“At Milton Elementary, we have a beautiful new learning environment, which is already serving as inspiration for the students and staff who have walked the halls,” Stephanos said. “Aside from that, watching my students grow academically and personally is always something I look forward to. It's going to be a great year!”
Cape District Teacher of the Year Maura Johnson of Shields Elementary said she couldn't wait for the year to begin.
“The joy and positive energy is amazing, and you can feel it as soon as you walk into our schools and hallways,” Johnson said. “You see ‘welcome back’ balloons, lots of smiling faces, and there is a focus on connections and growing stronger together.”
Shields Elementary students are set to move to the new Lewes Elementary School when it is completed sometime in spring 2022. Shields will then be demolished to make way for construction of the district’s third middle school.
The two-story addition at Cape High is now complete; the new wing can house up to 400 students in 20 classrooms and four Consortium areas. The public is invited to an open house for the new addition from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 17, said district spokesperson Steph DeMalto.
