“Criss-cross applesauce.”
Monday marked the first day of school for 22-year-old Katie Bluff of Honesdale.
A new teacher at Damascus Area School, Bluff smiled warmly as 17 5-year-olds filed into her classroom, seating themselves cross-legged for story time.
“I was very thankful that nobody was crying in the morning as they entered the door,” Bluff said. “They were so excited; they were smiling from ear to ear.”
A 2010 graduate of Bloomsburg University, Katie holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, as is currently pursuing her master’s.
The daughter of Robert and Donna Bluff and the granddaughter of former Sheriff Bill Bluff, Katie is following in her mom’s footsteps.
“She inspired me to be a teacher,” Katie says of her mom, who taught first grade at Western Wayne for 35 years. Though she retired two years ago, Donna was back in school Monday, volunteering her time in the two kindergarten classrooms at Damascus.
“It’s like Helen Adams, just a legend. Everybody admires how much they put in. And you can just tell in their eyes — that is what they are meant to do,” she said.
Katie says she was touched by a note she found in her desk, left there by Adams, who recently retired after 55 years. “Welcome. Room 2 is a great place to be. Good luck,” the note said.
When told, “Boy, do you have some big shoes to fill,” Katie acknowledged the countless lives Adams has sewn into, saying, “Yes, I do. It’s a good thing I have big feet.”
One of the first things Katie did was hang Adams’ welcome note on her bulletin board. “I hope that she’ll stop in. I would love for her to come in,” she said.
Across the hall is Katie’s mentor, longtime kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Jane LaBar.
Calling LaBar amazing, Katie said, “She has made herself readily available to help me with everything. I can’t say how thankful I am to have her right next door.”
“We’ve had a wonderful kickoff. It was great to see the kids, lots of hugs, lots of excitement ...I think we had a good beginning,” said Damascus Area School Principal Maralyn Nalesnik.
“The school board was very generous in their updating of our facilities this summer ...The parking lots were re-blacktopped ...We were able to accommodate more parking spaces, because we have a very active parent participation ...We have a new roof on the building,” Nalesnik said.
“There’s been a lot of work. The maintenance crew this summer, boy, they worked non-stop,” Nalesnik said. “So the children are coming back to tip-top facilities.”
Inside the classroom, Damascus has added four new smartboards or ENO boards, along with six new projectors.
The projectors aid in Internet access, Nalesnik said, “You can project what would be on a small computer screen onto a very large screen to be able to teach the entire class.
“Children learn in different ways than when I was in school ...Technology is the window to the world,” she said. “The Internet gives us such access to such a wide array of resources and materials. It’s amazing, what you can get.”
Asked about her student expectations, Nalesnik said, “I think expectations on students are forever increasing. I think that the Internet and the focus on global economy has added to expectations on a local level. And as never before, children are being asked to really buckle down, really study; that their academics are the key to their future.
“With the advent of Keystone Exams at the high school level, our children have to know that that’s what they’re building towards. And with national standards now, it would seem that we’re playing in a national arena, not just at a local level. And as a result, the kids need to know that they’re players in a national and global world, because of how much technology has changed the world,” Nalesnik said.
Also new to the Damascus Area School is Technology Instructor Alisha Thompson, and Dave Wacker, a former Wayne Highlands Middle School Social Studies Teacher, newly appointed as the Gifted Teacher for the Wayne Highlands School District.
Damascus Area School is home to 320 students, kindergarten through eighth grade; 34 of them kindergartners just starting out.
As her daughter, Katie, stands before half of them, Donna advises, “Just always enjoy yourself. Enjoy the children. It’s very rewarding to see them change from the day they came in” to the end of the school year, as they pass to the next grade.
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“Criss-cross applesauce.”
Monday marked the first day of school for 22-year-old Katie Bluff of Honesdale.
A new teacher at Damascus Area School, Bluff smiled warmly as 17 5-year-olds filed into her classroom, seating themselves cross-legged for story time.
“I was very thankful that nobody was crying in the morning as they entered the door,” Bluff said. “They were so excited; they were smiling from ear to ear.”
A 2010 graduate of Bloomsburg University, Katie holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, as is currently pursuing her master’s.
The daughter of Robert and Donna Bluff and the granddaughter of former Sheriff Bill Bluff, Katie is following in her mom’s footsteps.
“She inspired me to be a teacher,” Katie says of her mom, who taught first grade at Western Wayne for 35 years. Though she retired two years ago, Donna was back in school Monday, volunteering her time in the two kindergarten classrooms at Damascus.
“It’s like Helen Adams, just a legend. Everybody admires how much they put in. And you can just tell in their eyes — that is what they are meant to do,” she said.
Katie says she was touched by a note she found in her desk, left there by Adams, who recently retired after 55 years. “Welcome. Room 2 is a great place to be. Good luck,” the note said.
When told, “Boy, do you have some big shoes to fill,” Katie acknowledged the countless lives Adams has sewn into, saying, “Yes, I do. It’s a good thing I have big feet.”
One of the first things Katie did was hang Adams’ welcome note on her bulletin board. “I hope that she’ll stop in. I would love for her to come in,” she said.
Across the hall is Katie’s mentor, longtime kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Jane LaBar.
Calling LaBar amazing, Katie said, “She has made herself readily available to help me with everything. I can’t say how thankful I am to have her right next door.”
“We’ve had a wonderful kickoff. It was great to see the kids, lots of hugs, lots of excitement ...I think we had a good beginning,” said Damascus Area School Principal Maralyn Nalesnik.
“The school board was very generous in their updating of our facilities this summer ...The parking lots were re-blacktopped ...We were able to accommodate more parking spaces, because we have a very active parent participation ...We have a new roof on the building,” Nalesnik said.
“There’s been a lot of work. The maintenance crew this summer, boy, they worked non-stop,” Nalesnik said. “So the children are coming back to tip-top facilities.”
Inside the classroom, Damascus has added four new smartboards or ENO boards, along with six new projectors.
The projectors aid in Internet access, Nalesnik said, “You can project what would be on a small computer screen onto a very large screen to be able to teach the entire class.
“Children learn in different ways than when I was in school ...Technology is the window to the world,” she said. “The Internet gives us such access to such a wide array of resources and materials. It’s amazing, what you can get.”
Asked about her student expectations, Nalesnik said, “I think expectations on students are forever increasing. I think that the Internet and the focus on global economy has added to expectations on a local level. And as never before, children are being asked to really buckle down, really study; that their academics are the key to their future.
“With the advent of Keystone Exams at the high school level, our children have to know that that’s what they’re building towards. And with national standards now, it would seem that we’re playing in a national arena, not just at a local level. And as a result, the kids need to know that they’re players in a national and global world, because of how much technology has changed the world,” Nalesnik said.
Also new to the Damascus Area School is Technology Instructor Alisha Thompson, and Dave Wacker, a former Wayne Highlands Middle School Social Studies Teacher, newly appointed as the Gifted Teacher for the Wayne Highlands School District.
Damascus Area School is home to 320 students, kindergarten through eighth grade; 34 of them kindergartners just starting out.
As her daughter, Katie, stands before half of them, Donna advises, “Just always enjoy yourself. Enjoy the children. It’s very rewarding to see them change from the day they came in” to the end of the school year, as they pass to the next grade.
