Thursday night saw the halls of Poplar Bluff High School flooded with students and parents, as they navigated the hallways and climbed the stairs to visit classrooms and meet with teachers in preparation for the upcoming school year.
The open house started at 5:30 p.m. and outside of the high school building a large number of people patiently waited for the doors to open while many others stopped by the Butler County Health Department mobile center to update vaccination information.
Just past the entrance, maps of the campus were distributed to anyone who needed assistance with finding certain locations, and students accompanied their parents as they visited room after room.
“I know you. I remember you from Lake Road,” high school art teacher Jeanne Stevenson said to a silent student. “I had you in sixth grade. If I remember correctly, you’re quite a good artist.”
Parents and students asked questions of the teachers and became acquainted with information regarding how classrooms would operate throughout the year.
One student in particular was experiencing everything for the first time. Soo Yeon Kee, a freshman exchange student from South Korea, visited Stevenson’s room to learn what she could expect. Kee has been in the United States for approximately one week and the high school campus appeared to be impressive to her.
“This building is great. It’s very big,” Kee remarked. “We don’t have high school like this in South Korea.”
Her host parents Tim and Tracy Lowe said they are expecting this to be a good year.
“This is our first time hosting an exchange student,” Tim Lowe explained. “I was stationed in South Korea when I was in the Army and I fell in love with that area. And I think this is just a good opportunity for us to learn about a different culture while offering the same service to her.”
“I feel the exact same way,” Tracy Lowe added. “And it’s like having an opportunity to have a second daughter.”
Down the hall, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Andrea Cox greeted students in her room as she anticipates teaching for her 10th year at PBHS. As various people filed past her doorway, two different students dropped in within approximately five minutes of each other just to say hello and to give Cox a hug.
“I teach grades 9-12, and each year is good,” Cox noted. “I really look forward to meeting new students and getting to know all of them.”
Monitoring traffic in the building, Assistant Principal Stephanie Hillis said she is looking forward to the new school year and enjoys meeting new students as well.
“I think my favorite thing is just meeting siblings of former students that I have had in the past,” Hillis said. “And I’m also getting to the point where I am getting to see the children of former students from the past, also. It’s a really neat experience.”