BUCKLAND — As Mohawk Trail Regional School pupils made their way to the buses at around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday as the first day of the new school year, a half-day, came to a close, students shared that it felt like the last academic year never really ended.
Indeed, senior Valerie Bzomowski said she and her classmates “just got right into it” to start the 2026-2027 school year. A similar sentiment was voiced by Josh Cerone, who said he was getting back into the groove of school and that “sophomore year had been fun so far.”
“I liked it. We’re getting to know how everything works,” added junior Zephyr Jetzon.
This feeling of excitement wasn’t limited to the students, either, as seventh grade English teacher Ty Holter said he was excited for his second year as a teacher in the district. He highlighted outdoor learning and poetry as two areas he’s looking forward to teaching.
“Our seventh graders seemed really excited to be in middle school. They’re excited to socialize,” Holter said. “I feel like much more a part of the community [in my second year]. … I feel a lot more able to hit the ground running. We get kids from all over [and] they all bring different strengths.”
For Principal Chris Buckland, his favorite part of the first day was seeing the seventh grade staff welcome the newest students in the building as they were dropped off or as they hopped off the bus. The day as a whole went “pretty smooth,” according to Buckland.
“The staff have been great and the kids have been great,” Buckland said, adding that another one of his favorite parts of the first day of school is seeing how much the students have grown over the summer. “They seem to be physically growing into the building.”
One of these students is eighth grader Isaac Kovalchick, who was getting ready for cross-country practice after the first day of school. Now in his second year at Mohawk Trail Regional School, Kovalchick said not a lot has changed between the years.
“I feel like I was definitely more prepared for [school] this year,” Kovalchick noted. “It’s different — [I’m] doing the same things but going to different areas.”
