Friends Reunited at Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School’s Back to School Picnic

At a Back-to-School Picnic, the Principal of Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School, Nikki Taubenberger (L), stands with Mayor Lori Cockrell, who, in addition to teaching at the school, serves the Town of Front Royal. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

Principal Nikki Taubenberger was optimistic that the picnic would be a sweet reunion. It is going to be great, she said. Joined by Mayor Lori Cockrell, a teacher at the school since 1998, they reflected on what the school year would be like for the students. Cockrell highlighted the pandemic as an ongoing challenge, even though the requirements have decreased. “We were all wearing masks,” she said, talking about recent years, in which, due to the trauma that was felt globally, many students fell a grade behind. The mask makes communication difficult, which was one of the aspects of the COVID-19 phenomena that made progress more laborious. So, this year will be about catching up.

At Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School, students’ families are served icy water, hot dogs, and chips to begin the school year.

Another mountain to climb is the Virginia Literacy Act. Under that banner, Cockrell explained, the state is developing standards for approved material to guide teachers in teaching their classes. Passed in the 2022 General Assembly, the VLA is targeted towards the 2024-2025 school year as the beginning of an organized effort to help students meet literacy benchmarks. Teachers might discover resources they think would be helpful, but if they do not meet state approval reflected in a list of resources that meet state standards, they will not be able to use them. Thus, teachers going full steam ahead must slow down and work to understand these new expectations and how to meet them.

Shenandoah Valley Orthodontics, represented here by Abbey Rodriguez, is a friendly presence at the school picnic, sponsoring the event and providing delicious desserts.

The back-to-school vibe conveyed the feeling that whatever challenges the next year may hold, the students and their families will meet them as a team.

After a summer without seeing each other, young people who attend the school come together for recreation on the playground.