School starting early for some Columbus students

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – For most central Ohio children, the first day of school is still a few weeks out, but students at Woodcrest Elementary started Wednesday and were welcomed back with a clap-in.

Teachers, staff and the superintendent of Columbus City Schools all gathered outside the front doors, singing and cheering for their students as they begin the 2024-2025 school year.

Members of a Columbus middle school marching band were also there to give the kids a beat as they walk into the school.

Woodcrest Elementary is the only district school to operate almost year round

Students start early, end late and get a few more breaks during the normal school year, which is why they are starting the year in July rather than late August.

Woodcrest staff and Superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman said they hope the students feel welcome and are ready to learn.

“Marginalized children typically experience between two to three months of summer learning loss, so we get to start early and we take advantage of that opportunity,” Juante Randleman, a Woodcrest intervention specialist, said.

“I certainly hope that the students felt what I felt, felt what the staff felt: the energy, the excitement, the warmth and the love,” Chapman said.

All other Columbus City Schools students will have their first day of school Aug. 21.

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