VIENNA — Maries R-1 administrators reported that school was off to a great start when the Board of Education met for its monthly meeting on Aug. 20, two days into the new semester.

“We had lots of smiles and only a few tears this year,” Vienna Elementary School Principal Shanda Snodgrass said about the first day.

Snodgrass reported a successful open house with 93 percent attendance by students and their families, which meant only 17 students missed the event. The open house also included a Title I informational meeting for parents that 17 families attended.

Snodgrass complimented the custodial staff for preparing the building for the open house and the start of the school year. She also appreciated the local churches that did a prayer walk through the school before the first day.

The campus hosted the annual back-to-school fair for Maries R-1 and Visitation Inter-Parish School students from pre-K through eighth grade to receive bags with school supplies and important information ahead of the new school year. Snodgrass recognized Donna Haller, Sara Campbell and Malinda Howard for organizing the event, which included donations from many local people and businesses.

“Every year they get it much more organized,” Snodgrass said. “They did a great job.”

VES will once again participate in the Buddy Pack program through the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri and local churches. The program seeks to help students who receive free and reduced lunches at school fill a meal gap they might have on weekends. The packs include food items such as cereal, peanut butter and easy-to-make meals. Snodgrass said the packs are set to arrive in September.

Elementary school teachers were preparing to give students the first diagnostic tests on the i-Ready program. The results will give teachers an understanding of students’ knowledge of core subjects as they start the new school year.

Snodgrass recognized the school’s administrators, Vienna United Methodist Church, the First Baptist Church of Vienna, The Maries County Bank and the Community Teachers Association for helping to provide meals for school staff during back-to-school meetings.

The campus has two new bike racks. Snodgrass recognized student Macey Martin for conducting a personal fundraiser to install a rack after students riding their bikes to school had to put them in the storage building for safekeeping.

VES will host the first elementary school Knowledge Bowl of the new Show-Me Central Conference later this school year. Snodgrass said she was excited for the school to participate in the new program.

Vienna High School Principal Tim Metcalf also reported a successful open house. Nearly all the new sixth-graders attended orientation. The overall attendance for the open house was 188 students with 88 percent of middle school students and 79 percent of high school students attending.

The district’s middle school students will use the i-Ready program for the first time in English and math. High school students will use it in Algebra I.

Metcalf said he and Snodgrass attended a meeting with the other Show-Me Central Conference principals, and it was a good opportunity to share ideas and collaborate. The administrators also attended an education law conference that they said was informative.

“The teachers are very excited this year,” Metcalf said about the start of school. “I’ve had lots of people pull me aside and show me the cool things they’ve learned over the summer, new things they’re going to try, and today I made it into every classroom at least once. They’re starting off rolling.”

Special Education Director Joe Edwards echoed Metcalf’s statements about the start of the new semester.

“We’re really excited about the staff this year,” he said. “We’ve been in every classroom. Everyone we’ve been in, they’ve been up with the kids, and that’s awesome.”

Edwards said he had attended a Scottish Rite of Freemasonry meeting to receive a $2,576.68 donation to the district to help a student receive a hearing aid as part of the RiteCare program. He said the district was very appreciative of the donation.

The district received full marks in all categories of the state’s Special Education Determination evaluation, so the district meets the requirements of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Edwards will attend restraint training in September to receive pre-certification to train school staff in restraint techniques.

At the start of the school year, 54 students had individualized educational plans, three private or homeschooled students were receiving special services through the district, two students within the district were attending Discovery Schools in Rolla and 27 students with educational plans under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.