Email   Print   Share By Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious August 16, 2012 | Living

Shelves are stocked with school supplies at the Clear Creek Exchange in anticipation of the Aug. 27 start of the 2012-2013 school year. The Exchange also has the school supply lists for all KISD schools, including pre-school lists, Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Barbara Geddis and her daughter, Alena Clavijo, 12, look over the notebooks and folders at the Clear Creek Exchange Monday as the two shop for all of the items on Alena’s school-supplied list of required items. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Nearly 400 new teachers and other education professionals listen to an overview about KISD demographics, campuses and policies during New Teacher Orientation Monday at Harker Heights High School. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Incoming Smith Middle School Principal Chad Wolf chats with some of his fellow educators and professionals after the KISD New Teacher Orientation Monday at Harker Heights High School. The teachers and other professionals were gathering to head over to their assigned school campuses. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

One parent reviews the list of required school supplies Monday at the Clear Creek Exchange. With the first day of school less than two weeks away, parents and students are busy making last-minute preparations and purchases. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Fourth-grader Aidan Cocab, 9, and his sister, Bella, 3, look through the different school supplies on display at the Clear Creek Exchange. Aidan said he is excited for school to start in less than two weeks. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

With the 2012-2013 academic year starting in less than two weeks, preparations for students and educators to get back to school are in full swing.

For students, there are school clothes and supplies to buy, sleep schedules to adjust after the extended summer break, and excitement about seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

Aidan Cocab, 9, is looking forward to his fourth-grade year at Nolanville.

“I can’t wait to make new friends,” Aidan said.

He and his mother, Amy McCarter, and sister, Bella, 3, were at the Clear Creek Exchange on Monday checking out the school supplies.

McCarter said she has already gotten most of Aidan’s supplies.

“I took advantage of sales and coupon matches,” she said. “I am a big couponer.”

While Aidan perused the variety of Lego-themed school supplies, his little sister begged for colored pencils.

Like many others in the 9-year-old demographic, Legos, Beyblades and Angry Birds-themed school items caught Aidan’s attention.

McCarter is also anxiously awaiting the start of the school year.

“It will be nice for him to get out of the house,” she said about Aidan.

For his part, Aidan is mostly excited about gym class, noting that physical education and music are his favorites.

“We have archery this year,” he said.

As the parent of an incoming student at Ellison High School, Ariane Ryder is meeting the upcoming school year with some anxiety.

“I am praying,” she said. “High school is a big step.”

Ryder has already purchased her son’s school wardrobe and is preparing to get his school supplies.

“I am waiting for the last-minute price drop,” she said.

With Friday starting Texas’ annual tax-free weekend, Ryder should have some help in saving money.

Barbara Geddis and her daughter, Alena Clavijo, 12, were already taking advantage of tax-free shopping at the Clear Creek Exchange.

“The prices are what brought us to the Exchange,” Geddis said. “We came to Killeen and are making a day of it.”

Alena will be a seventh-grader at Stiles Middle School in Austin, but she has already been at the school for cheer practice. She said she is excited about starting at the new school.

“It’s a beautiful school,” she said. “There are no white walls. Everything is painted bright colors and lockers and halls are color-coded by grades.”

Alena said she already has friends that will also attend the newly opened school.

The one challenge to the first day of school seemed to be getting the required supplies.

“It is stressful finding school supplies,” Geddis, a retired noncommissioned officer, said.

Teachers and other educational professionals are also getting ready for school, and many share the same excitement the students and parents professed.

On Monday, Killeen Independent School District hosted almost 400 newly hired educational professions and their mentors for the kick-off of new teacher orientation at Harker Heights High School.

During the morning orientation, the new teachers and administrators received an overview of the school district before breaking off into their campus groups.

“I am so excited to meet the students,” Tabitha Parker said.

Parker, who will begin her teaching career this year at Meadows Elementary on post, has been busy getting her classroom together and preparing for her new students. The most challenging task for Parker so far has been getting a rewards system in place for her students.

“I didn’t know I would spend so much money,” she said, laughing.

Parker has spent the past few weeks working with her mentor, an experienced KISD educator, preparing for her incoming fourth-grade students. As a former teacher’s aide, Parker has experience working with children, but she said it will be a different experience working with military children.

“I don’t know what to expect,” she said.

Incoming Principal Chad Wolf will also be working with military children as he takes the helm at Smith Middle School this school year.

As the assistant principal at Manor Middle School in Killeen last year and with 14 years with KISD under his belt, Wolf said he is ready for the school year to start.

“I’ve spent a lot of time preparing for the first day of school,” he said.

Wolf said he plans to spend that first day welcoming students and helping out wherever he can.

“I will be floating, making sure students and parents feel welcomed to the campus,” he said. “I want everything to go well. I have more excitement than anxiety.”

Kristi Velasquez, a high school English teacher, is preparing for her third year at Killeen High School.

She spent the summer attending workshops and hitting sales at the area discount stores to stock her classroom. Her advice to the newcomers is to relax and make connections with students from the start.

“The most important thing is the one-on-one connection,” Velasquez said.

She does remember the anxiety of the first day of school as a new teacher though.

“I want the best for all of them,” Velasquez said. “No worries, though. The first day of school is the best day because the kids are too scared to be bad. The first week is a piece of cake.”