ROCK SPRINGS – After another long summer break, students at Rock Springs Junior High took their firsts steps back at an open house on Thursday.

Students received basic paperwork, schedules and the chance to meet their new teachers for the upcoming year. Parents and students were also addressed by Principal Tina Johnson who spoke on  tests scores, new changes and several safety issues.

Many of the new seventh-grade students were just trying to get an understanding of moving from elementary up to the junior high. While this means a bigger school and more students for some, others looked at it a new opportunity.

Although Kameron Normand said he was not particularly excited for school and the move from Westridge to the junior high, he was ready to go. Normand said P.E. was the class he was looking forward to the most this year and while he has not really looking forward to many of his elective classes he is interested in math opportunities.

“Yeah I’m excited about it,” Normand said. “I’m excited about everything.”

For other returning students, getting back to their old stomping grounds is no big deal. Brinlee McFarland who will be in eighth grade said that the excitement to return is still there.

With the electives being McFarland’s favorite classes last year and also this year, she is really looking forward to math because she will be learning Geometry.

While she is just a little excited to actually start school again she is very happy that she will get to see her friends again.

With students and parents trying to find  where the next stations they had to find were, the auditorium was set up for Principal Johnson to speak to parents and students.

The first thing Johnson brought forward were the test scores from last year.

“Last year, I challenged my students to improve test scores. I challenged them to do better that Green River,” Johnson explained. “I wanted to have bragging rights over Green River.”

This year’s eighth-grade students did see significant improvements. They went from a 67 percent in math to a 74 percent. In reading, the same students went from a 69 percent to a 76 percent.

“It is the first time in the two school districts since testing began that we beat Green River in reading and math,” Johnson exclaimed.

Johnson also said a big focus has been on sub groups and they too showed steady gains although some of the students will not have any electives on their schedules.

“We  feel that academics is much more important and it is our job to get them ready for high school, Johnson said.

Topics such as the dress code, walking on the right side of the hallway, locker safety and tardies were discussed, the biggest new change will be in the lunchroom. Johnson said a policy was recently passed which will only allow students to have a negative balance of $15 dollars in the lunchroom. She explained last year they had students with debts of $600 dollars. She said any parents who are concerned should check into the free and reduced lunch to see if the qualify.

Also in the lunchroom, a nut-free zone will be put up. She said this year they have a student who has life-threatening allergies and no students are to bring any nut-related product into this zone.

All Students old and young will hit hallways around Rock Springs as school officially starts Tuesday, Sept 3.