State Rep. Toni Walker, West Hills/West Rock Alder Honda Smith, and incoming State Rep. Eli Sabin greet students with cheers and high-fives. Welcome to kindergarten! Alessandro Barahona missed school during the summer. He would ask his mom, “Are we going to school today? Are we going to school today?” Finally, on Monday, his mom could say yes. When they showed up for the first day of kindergarten at Barack Obama Magnet University School (BOMUS), a community was there to greet them. Not only the teachers, paraeducators, and administrators. But civic leaders from across the city, who cheered them on with blue pom-poms and high-fives. They sent a resounding message to the 350 students from pre-K through 4th grade at BOMUS, and the approximately 18,000 students heading to school throughout the city: The adults in your community have your back. State Sen. Gary Winfield had assembled colleagues outside the school for his annual “Because You Matter” tour, welcoming students to school. And Principal Jamie Baker had reached out to community partners, including mentors and volunteers from Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, to contribute to a jubilant first day. As older students headed straight into the building, the kindergarteners met their teachers outside the school building and hugged their parents goodbye. Alessandro Barahona (center) reunites with his Pre-K friends, ready to embark on their first day of Kindergarten. While some separations were tearful, Alessandro was ready. He reunited with four of his friends from pre-K, and they ran around, giggling and squishing bugs, as their parents watched their excitement with relief. Alessandro’s mom, Yesenia Serrano, said she’s grateful to send her kid to BOMUS. “This school is amazing,” she said. She likes that the school has small class sizes and attentive educators. “They’re always calling for every little thing,” she said. “He has a speech delay, and he’s been getting everything he needs.” Tranevia McLean and Torrance Crandell drop off their daughter, Torryn. Meanwhile, as fellow kindergartener Torryn Crandell walked up to the school building, she caught sight of her friend from pre-K. They each ran toward each other for a heartfelt hug. Torryn wore sparkly cat ears, star earrings, and a growing smile. She loves cats, and both she and her friend came to school with Hello Kitty backpacks. “Wanna see my Bluey?” asked her friend, revealing a stuffed blue cartoon dog from the backpack. Soon, guided by their teachers, Torryn and her classmates marched down a tunnel of local civic leaders, who cheered “Happy first day!” and gave high-five after high-five on their way to the school’s front door. State Sen. Gary Winfield, at right in photo, at BOMUS Monday leading his annual “Because You Matter” school tour. State Rep. Toni Walker was among the cheerleaders. “This is truly a community school,” she reflected. “It’s a hub for parents” as well as students. “We should all go back to school and support our schools.” Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller also praised BOMUS as a “model” for how neighborhood and community support can help to power a school ecosystem. She cited the school’s partnership with Southern Connecticut State University, which hosts the school on its campus and regularly connects the elementary schoolers with college students. She also noted “the way the fraternity,” Phi Beta Sigma, “has really adopted this school” as a focus for mentorship. Miller and her colleagues on the Board of Alders Education Committee issued a public call last week for the Health and Fire Departments to conduct an inspection of all school buildings. Their request followed a series of committee hearings over the summer, during which alders pressed school leaders on the status of HVAC systems, leaks, mold, and other conditions reported in a variety of schools. In response to their letter, Mayor Justin Elicker and Supt. Madeline Negrón said that a majority of facilities concerns have been addressed and that school buildings are safe for students. While Miller has been a vocal critic of the school system’s management of facilities, she said that “we have to celebrate and lift up what’s good” about the school system – “and add to it.” “We all need to be invested and engaged” in schools across the city, Miller said. “It’s not just teachers and administrators who are responsible.” One community member who has shown up every year for the first day of school at BOMUS is James Baker — the father of school Principal Jamie Baker. He walked around with his daughter’s dog, a small and fluffy cavapoo named Marley — the school’s beloved “fake mascot,” as Principal Baker called him. James recalled how he would drop off his daughter on her first day each year attending nearby Davis Street elementary school. When Baker was a kid, she was a little shy, James said, but also “totally independent.” Baker recalled feeling excited and prepared each year due to the inviting school environment that her educators worked to maintain. Now, as principal, her first day of school involves conjuring that same warm and lively spirit to set the tone for the year. She spent the morning checking in with staff, greeting families, and reassuring anxious kids that they’d have a good day. “They’ll be smiling by the end of the day,” she said. Once all the kids were inside, Baker was the last to dance through the line of pom-pom waving politicians. She joined them in their cheers. Unofficial school mascot Marley, hard at work being cute. Principal Jamie Baker (center) welcomes families to BOMUS. The post Alessandro Torryn High-Five Their Way To Kindergarten appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less