Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Bessemer Area Schools hold open house for students, parents

BESSEMER - The Bessemer Area School District held an open house at both Washington Elementary and A.D. Johnston Junior/Senior High School on Thursday afternoon.

According to science teacher David Rowe and special needs instructor Jamie Stiffarm, the annual event helps students with anxiety over the start of the school year, by allowing them the opportunity to meet their teachers and possibly some classmates, go over their schedule ahead of time and find the location of their classes.

"Some of them came in with big eyes and then after they started seeing their friends and started talking to their teachers they started to smile," said Rowe. "I think they just needed to gain some confidence and I think they did that today. I think it was good. It relieved some of the anxiety."

Stiffarm said it was nice that parents joined their students and showed interest in what was going on at the school. She said she was able to use the opportunity to get parents to sign paperwork that was needed.

Rowe said students were able to pick up their schedules and meet teachers who they weren't familiar with. The kids and the parents are "calmer," they said, and know that "they're heard."

According to Stiffarm, many of the students were worried about their schedule and getting the classes they wanted. She said she was able to reassure them the schedules could be adjusted.

"So that worked out nice," said Stiffarm. "It was a good day."

Many teachers at both the elementary and junior-senior high schools said that they saw about 50% of their students during the open house.

Fifth grade teacher Gene Goss said that he enjoys the event. He said he is a veteran teacher with nearly 30 years experience, and as such, he is now getting repeat generations of students.

"Students I had as kids are now bringing in their kids," he said.

He said that many of the teachers at Bessemer are also alumni of the school district, and three of them were once his students.

"I'm very proud of the fact that my students are coming back and want to help educate the next generation," Goss said.