It's the First Day of School

And I was sent out to cover Grant Elementary and Hickman High School. And then later to Columbia College.

This morning, I got up at 6:45 to cover the first day of school at Hickman High School and then later at Grant Elementary School.

At Hickman, I didn't take many pictures. About halfway through the assignment, I made the mistake of asking the Vice Principal if I could take some pictures inside the school. He informed me that I wasn't allowed to take any pictures of students. So how am I supposed to cover back-to-school without taking pictures of students? (A later suggestion was photographing feet, etc.). I was also later told that I *can* take pictures there. But it really cramped my creative juices and I had to take pictures on the down-low... And didn't end up bringing back many pictures. Here's what I captioned, including this one, where the girl in white looks to me completely like a boy:


Sisters Rebecca Dennis, left, and Lawanda Dennis, second from right, review paperwork before their children's first day of school, on August 24, 2009. Their children, Malcolm Herron, 16, second from left, and Keuna Guy, 16, right, will be entering the 11th grade of Hickman High School. Hickman High School was named as one of the top 1500 high schools in the nation by Newsweek in June, 2009, placing them in the top six percentile of schools nationwide.


Students greet each other before they begin another school year at Hickman High School on August 24, 2009. In June, Hickman High School was named in Newsweek as one of the top 1500 American high schools, placing it in the top six percentile of schools nationwide.


Dr. Nick Boren, Chief Operations Officer for Columbia Public Schools, helps to greet students as they disembark for their first day back to school at Hickman High School on August 24, 2009. Hickman High School was named as one of the top 1500 high schools in the nation by Newsweek in June, 2009, placing them in the top six percentile of schools nationwide.

At Grant, it went a lot better. I was tasked with taking some pictures of Principal Boudain, because she greets her students daily. I was really impressed with how she knew pretty much all of the students' names that she spoke to.

Here's one of her that was captioned:

Principal Beverly Borduin, right, greets Veer Sangha, 9, and his father, Harbaksh Sangha, as they enter the yard of Grant Elementary School. Veer is beginning is first day of fourth grade on August 24, 2009. Grant Elementary School enrolled 323 kindergarten through fifth graders for the 2009-2010 school year.

After I got my shots of the principal, I took pictures of various students and parents. One thing I wished I had with me was my zoom-lens, so that I could get closer without being obvious. It was also pretty cool to run into a few people that I knew.


Jessica Touchatt, 6, center, waits in line before heading into Grant Elementary to begin her first day of first grade on August 24, 2009. Grant Elementary enrolled 323 kindergartener through fifth graders for the 2009-2010 school year.


Kathryn West talks with her son, Max Black, 7, as he waits to begin his first day of second grade. Tausha Hall helps her daughter, Tianna Hall-Patton, 5, with her shoes, before her first day of kindergarten. Both Max and Tianna are excited to starting school at Grant Elementary School on August 24, 2009. Grant Elementary School enrolled 323 kindergarten through fifth graders for the 2009-2010 school year.


Mary Beth (left) and Chris (right) Schneider help their children, Nina (front), 6, and Nathan (back), 7, as they prepare to enter Grant Elementary School on August 24, 2009. Usually quiet, Nina has been chattering about her first day of kindergarten for over a week, according to her mother, Mary Beth Schneider.


Parents watch as their children line up to go inside on their first day of school at Grant Elementary School. Grant teaches students in kindergarten through fifth grade. August 24, 2009, is the first day of classes for Grant and the other schools in the Columbia School District.

And finally, I was sent over to Columbia College to capturing returning college students.

Here's the one that I captioned:

Miranda Brinsa, 19, standing, greets her friends after purchasing supplies at the bookstore in the Atkins-Holman Student Commons on the Columbia College campus on August 24, 2009. Brinsa and her friends, (from left) Jillian Rathert, 20; Keriann Russell, 21; Chris Hawkins, 20; and Jamila Kerr, 21, chose to attend Columbia College because of its smaller size. "The professors know who I am; I'm not just a face in the crowd," Brinsa said.