Day one: New River Ridge school, new principal mark opening of classes in Beaufort County
For principal Gary McCulloch, Monday's opening of River Ridge Academy was a source of joy -- both professional and personal.
As he stood outside the school off Bluffton Parkway Monday morning among a crowd of students and parents, you could almost feel it.
For McCulloch, the former principal of Beaufort Elementary School, opening the doors of the brand new school off Bluffton Parkway was a process that began back in January, when he was tapped to be River Ridge's first head of school.
By lunch Monday, he had shaken hundreds, if not thousands, of hands.
He'd consoled teary-eyed children longing for home.
And he'd introduced himself to nearly every class in the school, which has 930 students from pre-K to eighth grade.
From the fist pumps and high-fives exchanged with students waiting to enter the school to the fifth grade students he met just before lunch, his enthusiasm never faded.
As if his first day at a new school wasn't enough, it was also daughter Chloe's first day of kindergarten.
Father and daughter shared a hug as she entered the school, pausing for a quick photo before she headed off to find her class.
Later, when he visited her kindergarten classroom, she bid him farewell with a loud "goodbye, Mr. McCulloch."
That earned a big smile from her father as he left.
He'd been worried she might say "goodbye, Daddy" instead.
THE REAL THING
The back-to-school nights held to give parents a first look at the school were well-attended, with about 1,000 people coming in each night, McCulloch said.
But it didn't compare to the real thing.
On Monday, parents of the kindergarten students, who number about 90, all followed their children to their classrooms.
More than a few leave in tears.
McCulloch said his wife started a support group for the mothers of other kindergarteners so they could go out, get coffee and talk about their child heading off to school.
The first day can be hard on everyone.
THE HICCUPS
The first of a few minor hiccups over the course of Monday morning presented itself soon after he said goodbye to his family at Chloe's classroom door.
A school bus came up the wrong street and got stuck in drop-off traffic.
McCulloch headed out to unlock a gate so the bus can get into the proper lane and drop off its first-day cargo.
That problem solved, it's time for pledges.
McCulloch reads the Pledge of Allegiance.
McCulloch served as principal at Beaufort Elementary for two years before his appointment to River Ridge.
Before that, he worked as a principal for nine years in Kent County, Md., in both elementary and middle schools.
Monday's opening presented a different challenge -- blending together both his past roles.
Only a few minor problems arose.
The projectors in some classrooms don't work, prompting a temporary fix.
Nerves get to a kindergarten student, causing him to empty the contents of his stomach onto the fresh floors in his classroom.
McCulloch said the staff and faculty spent the week prior to the first day of school running through routines.
If the day's biggest problem is a little vomit, he'll take it.
"It's going fantastic," he said. "I'm so pleased."
'A HAPPIER STUDENT'
Soon after the pledges, McCulloch was off to the morning meetings in each classroom.
He popped in a first-grade classroom and helps teach the "Chugga Chugga" song, which introduces each student and encourages them to dance. He found the song in a book back in Maryland, and has used it at every stop since then.
"I never really knew my principal or assistant principals when I was in school," he said. "The only time we would see them was for discipline. Principals should be an instructional leader first. I would have it no other way.
Most of the students are familiar with some of their classmates. The school mostly pulled from Bluffton, Pritchardville and Okatie schools, but others have chosen River Ridge through the district's "school choice" program for its Montessori and science and technology options.
Through the morning meetings, McCulloch hopes to foster a sense of community among teachers and students.
He plans on sitting in on as many of those meetings as possible throughout the year.
"Many students are not getting that social and emotional interaction," he said. "They don't feel that belonging, but it's all about feeling good today."
Building a happier student body has its benefits.
The year before he started at Beaufort Elementary, the school had 89 out-of-school suspensions. Last year, it only had 22.
He jumped into several of the morning meetings at various grade levels.
Some he observed from afar.
Others he joined.
River Ridge is built on responsive classrooms and "interactive modeling," which has teachers demonstrate ideas or actions using students, typically a few at a time.
The new principal is obviously a believer.
TOUGH NEGOTIATION
Classes of all ages snaked through the hallways all morning, learning where the art rooms and gymnasium were.
As he passed from class to class, McCulloch stopped to greet again many of the students he met earlier in the day.
Around 9:30 a.m., another issue arises.
A first-grade Montessori student did not want to go into music class.
He stands instead stood next to the door, in the hallway.
Negotiations with the boy were tough.
He seems determined not to enter.
McCulloch is patient and graceful in his encouragement that the boy go in and in his warning that he'll have to go to the principal's office if he doesn't.
At length, the boy relented.
He stood just inside the classroom and promised to join his classmates when he felt up to it.
About two hours later, as McCulloch passed from table-to-table in the school's cafeteria, he comes across the same student.
This time, the boy was smiling and laughing with his classmates.
"Kids want that feeling of self-belonging and fulfillment," McCulloch says, "and we just want them to be happy."
Apparently, at least one of them now is.
Follow reporter Matt McNab at twitter.com/IPBG_Matt.
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- River Ridge Academy: Filtered water from the water fountains? This Bluffton school has 'em , Aug. 13, 2015
This story was originally published August 17, 2015 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Day one: New River Ridge school, new principal mark opening of classes in Beaufort County."