LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With the start of school just around the corner, teachers in Jefferson County are busy at work getting their classrooms ready for the first day.
Stephanie DiLuca, a fifth-grade teacher at Price Elementary, is on her third day of classroom decoration and says she’ll keep making adjustments until school starts.
“I don’t want it to look just like a classroom with walls and some posters, I want it to look like somewhere where they’re comfortable, they can feel safe,” DiLuca said.
DiLuca, who is preparing for her eighth first day of school, says she still gets nervous leading up to the first day.
“I always get those butterflies in my stomach because the kids come in and they’re nervous too,” DiLuca said.
On the second floor of Price, Jordyn Hunter, a third-grade teacher, is also in the middle of classroom decorating.
Hunter, who is entering her second year of teaching, is feeling a mix of emotions but is focused on ensuring her students have the perfect room to walk into next week.
“Kids spend almost more hours during the week at school than at home, and I think that making sure we have a welcoming environment for them is super important because they feel like they are in an environment where they’re loved, seen, heard,” Hunter explained.
Students in Jefferson County Public Schools will begin this school year next Thursday, Aug. 8.
Elsewhere in Kentucky, the start of school is also approaching. Warren County Public Schools will begin its year a day before JCPS on Aug. 7, and in Lexington, Fayette County Public Schools will begin on Aug. 14.