Students Head Back To School — With A Cheer

Jomo Bartholomew is going to miss the summertime family fun of watching movies late at night and cooking breakfast together in the morning and visiting parks all over New Haven during the day alongside his two children. 

And so it was ​“bittersweet” when he dropped off his seven- and thirteen-year-old kids for their first day of school Thursday morning, even as his family looks forward to the more stable routines of the school year ahead.

Bartholomew and his family shared those thoughts Thursday during a celebration of the New Haven Public Schools’ (NHPS) first day of school that was hosted by State Sen. Gary Winfield at the Barack H. Obama Magnet University School at 69 Farnham Ave.

This is Winfield’s tenth year holding true to his promise to visit a New Haven school at least once a month to celebrate the youth. He’s since made his visits known as the ​“Because You Matter Tour” at over a dozen schools around the city throughout the year. 

Winfield invites the community to join him each month as he welcomes students to school in rain, shine, or snow.

On Thursday, shaking pom-poms, cheers, claps, and tunes like ​“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston kicked off the morning for BOMUS students and their families as nerves left at the front doors of the school and excitement took over. 

Winfield was joined by State Treasurer (and Westville resident) Erick Russell, NHPS Director of Human Resources & Labor Relations Lisa Mack, the Iota Chi Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., members of the Connecticut Tenants Union, and representatives from ConnCORP for this year’s 2023 – 2024 school year tour kick off. Also 

At around 8:30 a.m., Bartholomew dropped off his daughter for her first day of second grade at BOMUS, feeling both excited and sad because of the great summer his family has had. 

The upside of school starting back up, he said, are his family will get back into a daily routine, while the down side was he’ll miss getting to spend all day long bonding with his kids. 

“Just two nights ago we were in a different routine,” he said. 

That summer routine consisted of staying up late many a night until 2 or 3 a.m. and sleeping in late in the mornings. ​“This summer was kind of like the pandemic where we were just bonding all the time and we would just be having so much fun,” he said. 

On Wednesday, Bartholomew, his wife, and their two two kids went to Urban Air Adventure & Trampoline Park to get some of the kids’ energy out and so they could be well rested for their first days of school. 

This helped them to get to bed at 11 p.m. for the first time in a long time.

His eighth grader, who attends Beecher School, was the first one awake this morning. He and his sister said they are excited to get back to school on Thursday morning. 

Bartholomew added that now that his kids are back in school he will be able to head to the gym earlier in the morning rather than in the afternoon when his wife gets off of work. 

“I didn’t really like having to go to the gym in the evenings so now I can be a lot more productive now that I have my early mornings,” he said. 

He said he looks forward to also connecting with school staff and parents again because during the summer there is often a disconnect. 

Kiarre Ritter, who is the mother of a BOMUS first-grader, described the new school year as exciting. She said she looks forward to her son coming home from school and telling her about the new things he’s learned and new friends he’s made. 

“And he won’t be on my nerves,” she joked. 

Over the past weeks Ritter prepared for the new school year by shopping for school supplies. She said the hardest part was finding a royal blue uniform top for her son. 

On Thursday Ritter dropped off her son at BOMUS and then planned to have him take the bus for the remainder of the school year. 

“I can’t believe I have a first grader,” she said. ​“I can’t wait for him to come home with his homework. I’ve always waited for this,” she said. 

Last year Ritter wanted her son to attend Elm City Montessori or Amistad because those are the schools she attended, but once he placed at BOMUS she said she’s more than happy with the result. 

The school is nearby her home in Brookside Estates and over the past two years has ​“worked with me very well,” she said. 

This helps Ritter stay up to date with her son who she said sometimes can have a short attention span. Last year she said her son’s teachers helped inform her about his struggles with staying focused in class at times. 

She said BOMUS staff do well with keeping in contact with her as a parent. 

Most of all Ritter said she looks forward to ​“catching up on my zzz’s” and getting back into having a daily routine. 

Before Arely Natal walked her eight-year-old son to his first day of third grade, she snapped some pictures with him outside of BOMUS. 

She said she is both nervous and excited for the school year because she will be apart from her son, who has autism.

“I’m excited he’s going back to same teacher,” she said. 

She’s been preparing him for school by reminding him that school is starting soon. On Thursday morning, like many recent mornings, her son woke up with the question: ​“School today?” On Thursday, she finally could say yes. 

This summer Natal and her three kids spent a lot of time swimming and she rated the summer a nine out of ten. 

“He loves school and if I ever have any questions I can call them about anything,” she said. 

BOMUS Principal Jamie Baker-Vilsaint and Assistant Principal Melanie Thomas joined in on Thursday’s celebration. They waved pom-poms while dancing students into the building all morning. 

“We’re looking forward to traveling down a road of excellence with our scholars,” Baker-Vilsaint said. 

Baker-Vilsaint said BOMUS’s goals this year are to ​“beef up accountability,” increase instructional time, and train teachers to elevate students academically, emotionally, and socially. 

When asked what they’re looking forward to this school year, Baker-Vilsaint said the school will host a Sept. 20 Welcome Back Celebration for students, staff, and families to celebrate the 2023 – 2024 school year. 

“We’re doing everything we can for our scholars to have what they need to succeed in a world beyond New Haven,” Baker-Vilsaint added. 

At Thursday’s celebration school staff also had parents who missed the school’s orientation fill out their emergency contact forms and other documents pertaining to their students. 

The next Because You Matter Tour visit will be at Hill Regional Career High School on September 15.