Eagle Nest Elementary comes to life

By John Charles Robbins

The lady in the blue T-shirt climbed aboard the school bus after it was loaded with boisterous young children.
Small in statue but big in voice, she quickly got the kids to settle down and take their seats.
It wasn't the bus driver. It was Karen Spillane, the new principal of the new Eagle Nest Elementary School, one of two new elementary schools that opened Monday in Dorchester District Two.
She did it all, from helping the children get into their classrooms in the morning, to getting on the buses in the afternoon.
"Making it through the first day, that's half the battle," said Spillane, brushing sweat from her forehead while she waited for the final three buses in the hot afternoon sun.
Eagle Nest Elementary, off Dorchester Road and Appian Way, is adjoined by another new school, River Oaks Middle School.
On Monday, while elementary students were getting used to their new teachers and classrooms, a few yards away River Oaks was absent the buzz of students and teachers.
Construction delays led district officials to delay the start of classes until Monday, Aug. 27.
Spillane had an easy way with the hundreds of children at Eagle Nest. No surprise, really, because she knows the kids and they know her.
She is a former assistant principal at Fort Dorchester Elementary School (FDES), and the bulk of the 700 or so students attending Eagle Nest are from FDES.
"The most rewarding part for me all day was when the kids got off the bus, and they were hugging me and saying, 'Hi,'" said Spillane with a soft smile.
Maggie Koon, the music teacher, was eager to show off the set-up in her airy and colorful music room.
Along one wall is a bank of 16 state-of-the-art electronic Yamaha keyboards, each outfitted with its own headset and microphone.
Koon has her own larger keyboard in the elbow of the line of keyboards. She is able to listen to individual students as they play, and she can communicate with them over her headset.
"This is amazing," she said, "and a huge motivator for the kids."
During Meet the Teacher night last week, some of the children who were reluctant about starting music lessons took one look at the keyboards and warmed up.
Koon said she heard more than one child exclaim: "I can't wait to come to music!"
That enthusiasm carried over into Monday's first day of classes.
"Everything is new and the children were really excited. It was a great day of firsts," Koon said.
"It was kind of a first for everyone," said art teacher Sarah Burns, a first year teacher.
What was most memorable to Burns was how the influx of youngsters brought the brick and glass of Eagle Nest to life.
"It was exciting and refreshing to see the life they bring in," Burns said.
Fellow art teacher Alana Owens said she enjoyed getting the kids to "shake out the wiggles" when they got a little antsy through the day, by having them stand up and wiggle their arms and legs.
"The first day is a challenge for them, to have to listen to all the rules and procedures," Owens said.
Owens is equally impressed with the new classrooms at Eagle Nest, especially the large art room.
"This is the nicest art room I have ever been in — and it's all theirs," she said of the students.
"And I love working for Larry Barnfield," Owens added, referring to the man who runs the fine arts programs for District Two.
Staffers in all areas of Eagle Nest proclaimed success for day one.
"Oh, it was a great day," said cafeteria worker Margarita Douglas, as she handed out the afternoon snack to children in the cafeteria.
Second grade teacher Melissa Odom is inspired by the teamwork at Eagle Nest.
"From the second we opened, we've worked well together. Everybody has been super," said Odom.
Odom, Koon and the other teachers can't wait to dive into the new year.
"There are a lot of great things happening here," said Koon.