TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - Students at Catholic schools in South Florida made their return to class on Tuesday after the summer break.
On Monday, the Archdiocese of Miami said their teachers and staff across their 65 schools, including St. Malachy Catholic School in Tamarac, began preparing classrooms and planning lessons for the new school year.
7News cameras captured teachers working tirelessly to finalize lesson plans and ensure the classrooms are in tip-top shape ahead of the students’ arrival. Educators took the time to decorate the classrooms with colorful posters, descriptive banners and labels.
Both new and returning families at St. Malachy are excited for the new year.
“He’s ready to learn and play and you know and have fun with his new friends, I know he’s going to make new friends this year,” said a mother.
“So we’re excited, we’re excited to try it out and see how it goes,” said a mother new to the school.
St. Malachy Catholic School opened two years ago and they’ve grown from roughly two dozen students to more than 200.
“We thought like he would have the best education coming here to St. Malachy,” said a mother.
Parents spoke about their expectations for their children’s education.
“I’m looking for him to learn about Jesus and just the religion; things that I can’t necessarily teach him at home, I can introduce him to things but that foundation I think is really important for kids. And for her, I’m just excited for her to start daycare and to also learn and be close to the house,” said a mother. “My own personal challenge is letting them go.”
Down south at Holy Rosary in Cutler Bay, students are excited to get back to class, telling 7News what they look forward to.
“Have some fun today and learn some new stuff,” said one student.
“To be successful and make new friends,” said another.
Catholic schools as a whole have seen an increase in enrollment year after year. Officials say nearly 37,000 students will be walking the halls of their schools this year as enrollment is up by approximately 800 students.
“We are welcoming all these new families into our system this year, as we have for the last five years. We are so thrilled to have them in Catholic education,” said Dr. Jim Rigg, Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Miami.
Broward County’s first day went off without a hitch, with Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn visiting multiple schools and welcoming their 250,000 or so students back to class.
Students in Monroe County will return to class on Wednesday, while Miami-Dade County students are expected to kick off their school year on Thursday.
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