More Students Plus Rain Equals Lots Of Traffic At Cole

Maybe it would have gone more smoothly if it hadn't rained. Whether it was the rain, or because students were heavy laden on the first day, lots of parents drove their children to Cole Middle School on Tuesday, giving the two police officers assigned to direct traffic there plenty to do.

Buses, running a bit late, had to wait in line with all the cars as they wound their way into the parking lot. Although there are two lanes for drop off, one for cars and one for buses, there's only one entrance.

In an email that went out to parents Tuesday night, Cole Principal Alexis Meyer said that students taking the bus would help with traffic flow.

"I encourage students to ride the bus to school and home," she wrote. "This will help in preventing the back up of cars on Cedar Avenue."

Meyer also warned students against getting out of the car on Cedar Avenue - "The safety of all Cole students is of utmost importance."

Assistant Principal Vin Verrecchionne was at the front entrance (used by students for the first time), telling them where to go. Once all the students were in the building and school began, teams were called down to the cafetorium one by one to hear basic information and some rules about Cole.

On the large screen, Meyer's own video played, complete with Cole student avatars talking about what is and is not allowed at Cole (think cell phones, baseball caps and short skirts). For the sixth and seventh graders, that session was followed by a tour of the building.

Since the day began late, everything was pushed back, but the main objective had been acheived: Cole Middle School was at last a grade 6 through grade 8 facility.