‘I think it’ll be a really good year’

The first day in Destin schools went off without a hitch.

The usual first day kinks, like sorting out travel arrangements at the end of the day seemed to be the biggest anxiety for administrators.

For students, it was all smiles at the end of a day that began with butterflies.

Calm and exhausted from P.E., Sharon Catrino’s fifth-grade class at Destin Middle School couldn’t wait to scatter with the 3:30 bell.

“We had 100 percent today and you were a great class!” Catrino told the bunch with a huge smile.

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For a video slideshow of the first day of school, click here.

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Faced with declining enrollment, the school brought in a creative arts and French intensive curriculum for two fifth-grade classes. By all accounts the first day of the “one-of-a-kind” program was a success.

“It was awesome and we learned a lot and met a lot of different people,” a blonde and bubbly Emily Balint, 10, said.

Fellow recruit from Northwest Florida Ballet Savannah Reber, 10, said that the first day was all about getting a feel for the middle school.

The new batch of fifth-graders took it all in on Monday as they explored their new program and new school.

Alexa Gaddis, 10, formerly of Destin Elementary, agreed that middle school food is better than the elementary school variety.

“I was kind of nervous about seeing who was going to be in my class and seeing my new teacher,” a blue-eyed Jesi Harrell, 10, said.

Once the end-of-the-day rush was over, teachers took a collective sigh of relief over the day’s success.

Catrino, joining DMS from the Okaloosa Applied Technology Center, believes that the first day went well.

“The kids were really polite and wanted to do their best,” she said.

Catrino got her bachelor’s in elementary education from the University of Montevallo in Alabama and has over 25 years of teaching under her belt.

“I love teaching, it’s been my life for so long,” Catrino said.

Knowing that this is the first year that her bunch will be tested in science on the FCAT, Catrino knows that she has her work cut out for her.

“I want everybody to be kind, good workers and do their best,” she said. “Then we can have fun.”

Ryen Goebel, 9, told The Log that she is most excited about coming to DMS because of the art, French and music.
“I think it’ll be a really good year,” she said.