The halls of Harmony Elementary School in Gwinnett County bustled Wednesday morning with students finding their classrooms for their first day of school and parents wishing them well on the new year.
Teachers held the hands of the youngest students to help them find their way. Older kids hugged staff members, showed off new backpacks and told them about their summers, some even showing off bumps and bruises from an active vacation.
While Wednesday was the first day for all 184,000 students in Gwinnett County schools, the students and staff at Harmony had something extra to celebrate — the school’s 100th anniversary.
The school first opened as a two-room building behind a church at the corner of Thompson Mill and Bogan roads. There were many schools scattered across the county, but the Harmony community needed one of its own. It ended up standing the test of time — most schools in Gwinnett were closed or consolidated in the 1930s.
Harmony originally had two teachers and 52 students — 80 were enrolled, but many didn’t show up, according to a historical ledger posted on the school website. Students had desks but not much else to work with — “not sufficient amount of black board” and no maps, globes or library.
Harmony has grown a lot since then, with a few signs and artifacts near the entrance nodding to its history.
It’s gone through different buildings over the years, and about 500 students attend now. Since last school year, the school is also in the district’s first artificial intelligence-themed cluster. Even with the growth, Harmony Principal Jonathan Day said community is at the school’s core. The anniversary celebration will go throughout the year with an event targeted for the 100th day of classes, inviting past students and families, including those at Jones Middle and Seckinger High.
Day said the goal is “to really recognize all the generations of families that have come to Harmony.”
Madison Kim is one of those past students. Before starting her first day of sixth grade at Jones, she went with her family to greet her former teachers and drop her brother off for kindergarten.
“He was about to cry,” Madison said, adding that her brother had nerves but she helped him to find his class and feel more at ease. She didn’t share those feelings about middle school and having to find her classes and move around the building between bells.
“I’m excited for everything,” she said. “I have my class schedule so I know where to go.”
Blessing and Manfred Pepple dropped their first grader off and said he was eager to make friends, play in P.E. and learn about money — all his favorite things about school.
Blessing Pepple said her favorite thing about Harmony, which their seventh grader also attended, is the staff. “The principal knows almost all of the kids,” she said. “The staff knows you by your name and your kid’s name.”
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
Katherine Boean said her first grader Nathan had some nerves coming to Harmony as a new student. She said he’s an introvert and was also in a different class environment after attending Montessori school. Boean said it may take time, but she was confident Nathan would adjust.
She was glad to meet his teacher and see her class wasn’t overflowing with students. Boean said she’s used to being involved in school and was gauging how much she could do. Staff assured her she was invited to volunteer and participate in school activities.
“I think the kids are fine,” she said a few minutes after saying bye to Nathan for the day. Boean noted the bigger adjustment on the first day may actually be for her.
She lingered near the exit for a while until she finally told her husband, “I’m ready to go. ... I think.”
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