Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, August 11, 2010

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Scenes from Lansdowne Elementary on the first day of school ...

Across Fayette County this morning, alarm clocks beeped, buses rolled, and schools welcomed some 37,000 students for a new year. And whether age 10, 13 or 17, the oldest kids on campus suddenly realized it’s their final spin on the dance floor.

“You only have high school once,” said Whitney Scott, a senior at Bryan Station.

7:30 a.m. at Lansdowne Elementary

In the fifth-grade area at Lansdowne, kids settled in and set about organizing their desks. Cellophane crackled as they unwrapped clipboards and packs of loose-leaf paper. An electric sharpener hummed steadily as students waited in line with fresh pencils.

Claire Darland, who selected her first-day outfit the night before, soon headed out to tour primary classes around the building. “The little kids look up to you as a role model,” she said.

Classmate Trace Williams has a brother in kindergarten, so he’s used to a certain amount of adoration. His advice to younger students?

“Just work your hardest and be your best.”

8:30 a.m. at SCAPA  Bluegrass

As car riders arrived at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts, a man in sparkly silver shoes and silver hat waved a wand spreading a trail of bubbles.

“I’m Mister Gaga – Lady Gaga’s father,” he crowed as students chuckled at the pop music reference. (It was actually Mr. Love, the visual art teacher, with a colorful “welcome back.”)

Upstairs on the eighth-grade hallway, Isaac Hines-Williams and Katie Swim paused to reflect on their time at SCAPA.

“We all look out for each other. We’re here for five years together, so you all get close,” Katie explained.

While they look forward to special things like the class field trip and the spring showcase, they will revel in their final year in the SCAPA family.

Isaac said the younger kids shouldn’t worry about the inevitable hiccups along the way, noting, “It’s a growing process.”

9:30 a.m. at Bryan Station High School

As classrooms rumbled to life, teachers handed out syllabuses and students tried to get their bearings. After the bell, teenagers greeted one another warmly in the corridors. Often their expressions gave them away – there was a certain unease among freshmen, a steady confidence among seniors.

Whitney Scott and James Guyton are ready to make the most of their final year.

“My schedule is loaded up with AP classes,” said Whitney, who plans to run for class president.

“I’m at that point of being ready to get high school over with because college is just around the corner,” she added, though she was a tad wistful about the “last first day” of school.

James, who is the trumpet section leader in band, plans to motivate the younger musicians and also set a good example for his niece, a ninth-grader at Lafayette High.

“I want to do my best and finish strong. I can’t get ‘senioritis,’” he said. “I’m going to keep pushing myself.”