MERIDIAN, Idaho — West Ada students have officially gone back to class. Meridian Neighborhood Reporter Allie Triepke was invited to spend Wednesday morning following West Ada Superintendent Dr. Derek Bub for a day in the life of a superintendent on the first day of school.
WATCH | First Day of School: West Ada School District Superintendent Edition
Excitement filled the air, along with some first-day jitters, as thousands of students headed back to West Ada classrooms.
"Here we are, ready to go! Rocky Mountain High School – day one!" Bub said. As Bub made his rounds, he made sure to check in with students about their readiness for the new school year.
The superintendent told me that on the first day, he prioritizes visiting schools with new leadership.
"Do you guys know who this is? He's your new principal," Bub said to students at one school.
At Rocky Mountain High School, students expressed enthusiasm about the year ahead.
"I'm excited for homecoming, I'm excited for prom… and I'm excited to make this school better," said co-student body president Carston Clyde.
"Getting to know the teachers and just really seeing the school spirit on the first day," said Bella Haener, a junior at Rocky Mountain, when talking about what she looks forward to each school year.
After checking in with teachers and classrooms, Bub headed to Heritage Middle School.
"I'm really excited," Bub said. "Our staff has been working a ton over the summer to make sure we're ready for day one."
While traveling to Meridian Elementary, the superintendent shared some advice when asked what he would tell his younger self: "I would tell my freshman year self that the first day of school outfit is not as big of a deal as I thought it was."
Even as he enters his fifth year in the role, Bub acknowledged that students aren't the only ones feeling nervous on the first day.
"Yeah, you get nervous, you want to make sure everything is perfect," Bub said. "There's always going to be bumps along the road, and we just want to make sure that we are prepared for the best-case scenarios for our students and staff."
Bub plans to spend the rest of the day visiting all schools with first-year principals and will have visited all schools in the district by the end of the week.
