New year, new digs
Altoona Area Junior HIigh School staff works to iron out kinks during first day of classesBy Amanda Clegg, aclegg@altoonamirror.com
Article Photos
Louise Mozi waited anxiously for the sight of her 12-year-old grandson on the sidewalk off Eighth Avenue beside Altoona Area Junior High School Tuesday afternoon.
"I hope he just remembered to come out this side," she said of the seventh-grader.
Parents lined the sidewalks running the length of the avenue, waiting to pick up walkers on the first day of school at the new junior high.
As more and more students began filtering out, a little confusion let loose as well.
"Miranda, use the crosswalk!" an adult shouted to a student.
"Ma'am, we ask you please don't stop in the middle of the road for pickup," a school employee helping to guide students said to a driver coming to a halt on the avenue, while football players looking for the bus on 15th Street were pointed in the right direction.
Secondary Education Assistant Superintendent George Cardone said traffic on the Seventh Avenue side of the school did not jam, but Eighth Avenue hit a few traffic glitches on the morning of the first day.
School crossing guards are stationed at 13th and 14th streets on Eighth Avenue, and parents should drop off and pick up only on the east side of Eighth Avenue.
The Seventh Avenue side is reserved for school buses.
Across town, freshmen at Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School received a half day to themselves to get familiar with their surroundings, Principal Bob Gervinski said.
An anticipated 327 students will fill the halls today as all grades go back to school.
The Hollidasyburg Area School District went out of its way to get some students to their first day of classes Tuesday.
The district had to contend with an 8-mile detour for 107 students from the Maple Hollow area because of a Allegheny Township bridge 5-ton weight limit.
''We did not have any problems as a result of the detour this morning, everyone just had to get a little earlier start than originally planned,'' district spokeswoman Linda Russo said. ''We're hoping that the bridge will be fixed soon so we can get everyone back on their original schedule.''
A quick fix might not happen, however.
Commissioner Diane Meling said the traffic limitation will continue indefinitely.
Everett Area School District Superintendent Royce Boyd said the transition for students from Chaneysville-Cove to Everett Elementary School was smooth.
Parent Jason Moore said his child's new school schedule in Everett makes school days difficult, however.
He said his child got home from school at 4:40 p.m., an hour and five minutes later than last year. With 10 minutes to get to the soccer field he did not have much time to talk.
''It's a big inconvenience now for everybody,'' he said, comparing his child's schedule to that of a grown up with little free time.
He said he and his wife Michelle never had complaints about the schooling their child will receive, but are having trouble accepting the 40 minutes elementary students wait to ride home with high school students.
Back on Eighth Avenue at the AAJHS, Bill Stotler Jr. united with his grandmother Louise Mozi.
''It was pretty nice actually. It was a little confusing at first,'' Bill said of his big new school. ''You really get your exercise.''
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guttertroll
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08-27-08 4:26 PM
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Dr Murray University, nice.
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bigboy
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08-27-08 11:22 AM
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Good Luck ,students
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bigboy
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08-27-08 11:21 AM
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Good Luck ,students
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