Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back

 It's back to school time in Bullitt County, which means the funnest and busiest time of the year for The Pioneer News.

Stephen Thomas

Freedom Kindergarten student James Kundret greets teacher Kelly Shuff during an open house

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As a community newspaper, the editorial staff understands that opening week is the most important time of the year for most Bullitt county families.

Open houses, orientations, opening cook-offs, combined with first day of school ceremonies, school and classroom visits, all general school activities mean full schedules for the staff.

Bullitt County Public Schools include 13 elementary, six middle and four high schools, as well as a Technology Center and vested interest in the JCTC Bullitt County college campus.

Combined with a handful of private schools, that's a lot of ground to cover.

Just like the school administrators and staff, we look at it all as a special time, kind of like Christmas. You get up a little earlier for a few days, you stay up a little later, you put a lot of effort into it.

The reward is the job itself: In two weeks I myself have literally seen the faces of a few thousand Bullitt County students, from pre-schoolers to high school seniors. Most of them smiling.

I have also seen a few hundred teachers and administrators in this time. I'm happy to report that all of them - yes, ALL of them - were smiling (Note: it was still the first week).

Covering schools is just part of the job, but that first week is like opening day in baseball. It just has that little extra something to it.

Welcome back teachers, administrators, counselors, custodians, superintendents, cafeteria cooks, teacher aides, bus drivers and, most important of all, the students.