As a young child, I greeted each September with delight when I saw packages of pencils, notebook paper and other school supplies grace the shelves of the locally owned department store in my hometown. I patiently (or not so patiently!) counted down the days until my mother would take me by the hand to buy a new pair of sneakers and a few precious supplies to bring to school. I hardly slept the night before the first day of school in anticipation of a new beginning.

Jean Skorapa is the superintendent of RSU 5, which includes the towns of Freeport, Durham and Pownal.

I am full of hope and optimism as we embark on the 2022-2023 school year. September signifies positive new beginnings for our students, families and staff as we return to what feels like a sense of normalcy. We once again will see smiling faces in our classrooms, students eating and playing together, school assemblies, performances and athletic events.

This year we welcome the Freeport High School Class of 2035 at the beginning of their educational journey as we prepare to say goodbye to the class of 2023 in June. As the parent of two adult children, I am reminded of how quickly time passes. In the parable entitled, “Thoughts at the Bottom of the Beanstalk,” a boy named Jack was about to climb his first beanstalk as his mother, holding his hand at the foot of the beanstalk and gazing up, encouraged him to begin his climb. As she waved goodbye and turned to leave, she told herself, “Jack’s going to have lots of bigger beanstalks to climb in his life. Today’s the day he starts practicing for them. … And today’s the day I start practicing something too: cheering him on and waving goodbye.”

New beginnings. Stand at the bottom of the beanstalk, encouraging your child to be at their best. We’ll be there every step of the way.