STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- About 61,000 public school students will return to class on Staten Island today, but their Catholic school counterparts got a jump-start on the school year, returning to class yesterday. It was rainy and chilly -- summer vacation was definitely done -- but there were still plenty of smiling faces streaming into the newly renamed St....
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- About 61,000 public school students will return to class on Staten Island today, but their Catholic school counterparts got a jump-start on the school year, returning to class yesterday.
It was rainy and chilly -- summer vacation was definitely done -- but there were still plenty of smiling faces streaming into the newly renamed St. Peter-St. Paul School in New Brighton yesterday morning. They were among about 9,000 Island elementary school students heading to Archdiocese of New York classrooms yesterday.
"I really want to go to kindergarten," Olivia Cunningham, 5, said. "I know that it's going to be like any other class, it's just that you learn a lot more."
Yesterday was also the first day of classes -- for the 127th time -- at Staten Island Academy in Dongan Hills, a private K-12 school.
"The families were excited, the kids were excited," said Ruth Teague, director of admissions and financial aid.
Public school students, meanwhile, had the opportunity to savor one last soggy day of summer vacation. The start of the city school year was delayed a day in June, in order to give teachers an extra day of professional development.
The training is designed to help roll out the new "Common Core" standards in city classrooms. The curriculum standards have been adopted by 48 states, including New York.
The new St. Peter-St. Paul School was the former St. Paul's School, which closed in 2006. After St. Peter's Girls High School closed in June, the elementary school, which had been located on Richmond Terrace, moved into the Clinton Avenue building and added St. Paul to its name.
"I love the school. It's a really good school," said Jessica Duff, who was dropping off her daughter, Sumira Lewis, 5. "She comes home learning a lot. It's like a family."
Xavier Lake, 5, of St. George, was excited to start his first day of kindergarten -- he's spent the last few days asking his father, Owen Lake, when school started.
"He was excited," his mother, Orella Lake, said. "Mom was nervous."
But the Lake family already has experience with St. Peter's.
"I went to St. Peter's as a kid, so he's kind of a little legacy," Lake said.
Miguel Lopez was also starting his very first day at the school. He was excited to be in first grade, but nodded a big yes when asked if he was sad to see summer vacation end.
Fourth-grader Tosin Johnson Osinuga said she was excited -- "and a bit nervous" -- to start school. Classmate Nancy Simpkins, 9, agreed.
"I'm scared there's going to be some hard things that I don't know," Nancy said.
But fourth-grader Janyah Mercedes, 9, said it felt "great" to be back at school. "I like that we learn and we do lots of stuff, like doing hard math," she said.
Her brother Richard, 6, was enthusiastic about starting first grade. Their little sister, Jaydah, 4, will start pre-k today.
Despite the gray weather, students were cheerfully greeted by Principal Margaret Annunziata on the sidewalk in front of the school. Teachers flanked the doors, happily guiding children inside.
"We're like a big family here," pre-k teacher Mary Quinn said.
Classes did not begin at all Archdiocesan high schools yesterday -- some are still holding grade orientation this week, instead of full-day classes, and the first day all students must report varies from school to school.