Lowndes County School District holds new teacher orientation

The Lowndes County School District wanted to make sure its new teachers had the resources they needed before the start of the new school year.

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The countdown is on for the beginning of the new school year. Parents are getting their children ready, stocking up on school supplies, and trying to readjust schedules.

It is not just parents and students gearing up for the new year, teachers are getting ready too.

The Lowndes County School District held its new teacher orientation Thursday, July 20, at the Career and Tech Center.

The first day at a new school can be stressful. That’s true for teachers as well as students.

“I’m kind of going in a little blindsided,” said Jada Clark, a seventh and eighth-grade English teacher at West Lowndes. “I don’t know much. I’m new to this career.”

That’s why the Lowndes County School District wanted to make sure its new teachers had the resources they needed before the start of the new school year.

“They are the most important people in our district,” said Lowndes County School District Superintendent Sam Allison. “They are the people that will reach our kids. We want them to have the tools necessary, and we want them to know we’re available to them.”

District leaders know that one of the best ways to take care of students is by supporting the people who are with them eight hours a day, five days a week.

“That’s something Lowndes County is known for,” said fifth-grade ELA and history teacher Amanda Miller. “They’re just so supportive of their faculty and their students. They’re there for you when you need them. It didn’t feel intimidating; it just felt like a friendly environment-type feel. That more stood out to me than anything else.”

The new teachers learned the business end of things, from benefits, payroll, spending money, and technology to softer skills, like meeting district expectations and connecting with other teachers and administrators.

“It is a lot of information, but it’s useful, and it’s needed,” Clark said. “I’m 22 years old. I’m fresh out of college. I don’t know much about life insurance. I don’t know about all these policies. So, today was just very informative into just knowing all those things.”

John Addison Ford, a 10th-grade teacher at Caledonia High School, said the district helps guide them in a way they can better prepare for the future.

“We live in a day and age where students and young adults don’t get great guidance,” Ford said. “We see a big difference from day one to the last day of school. I think the standards the county sets for us is directly reflected from us setting standards for young adults.”

Teachers in the Lowndes County School District officially report Monday, July 24.

Students head back to class on Thursday, July 27.

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