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Children waved goodbye to their parents as they gripped their bookbags and lunch boxes and crossed under the threshold of Helena Elementary School on Thursday, Aug. 8 for the first day of school. (For the Reporter/Jeremy Raines)

By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

HELENA – Children waved goodbye to their parents as they gripped their bookbags and lunch boxes and crossed under the threshold of Helena Elementary School on Thursday, Aug. 8 for the first day of school.

Dressed to the nines, students greeted the car line attendants with smiles and hugs after a summer away. Older kids took their younger siblings hands and guided them inside as teachers greeted their new students.

As students filed into their new classrooms and unpacked their new school supplies, the excitement of the new school year was palpable, but the students weren’t the only new faces in at Helena Elementary School this year.

At Helena Elementary School, the first day of school marked Holly Laney’s first school day as principal at HES.

“I’m happy to be back in Helena,” Laney said. “It is a fantastic place to be. The families are amazing. The teachers are amazing. The community support is fantastic. I’m coming in after such a wonderful principal has left. I’m literally walking in and just enjoying being here.”

Although this is her first principal position, Laney is no stranger to education or to the city of Helena.

Laney began her career as a teacher at Valley Intermediate School in Pelham, before working at Helena Intermediate School and Calera Intermediate School as an assistant principal. Most recently, Laney served as the director of special education and student services for Tarrant City Schools.

“I’m just excited about being back in a school setting,” Laney said. “Last year, I was in a board position, and so it is exciting to me to see the smiling faces of students and to love on them and just be able to walk beside them in their school journey.”

From the very first day onwards, Laney plans to imbue every day with growth and to let students know that they are loved.

“My goals are to continue the already good thing that we’ve got going,” Laney said. “To continue focusing on student achievement, student growth and making sure that we are building our students up, not only academically, but socially and emotionally. We want to let them know that they’re loved.”

Those interested in learning more about Helena Elementary School can visit Shelbyed.k12.al.us/o/hes.

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