First day of new school year in La Crosse

North Woods International has new teachers, first day for Northside Elementary

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — Monday morning, hundreds of thousands of kids woke up a little earlier, and so did their excited parents.

It’s the first day of a new school year.

At North Woods International in La Crosse the students walked through the doors of the buildings often seeing friends they haven’t seen since June. They’re also meeting their new teachers.

The teachers and staff get to lay the groundwork to accomplish the district’s goals for the year.

“We’re focusing on personalized learning, making sure we meet the needs of kids. We’re focusing on celebrating our successes and branding our school through social media. And we’re also really working hard to close the achievement gap,” said North Woods Elementary Principal Sandy Brauer.

It’s double the excitement on the north side. Not only is it the first day for students, but it’s also the first day for the building. Northside Elementary is bringing students from Roosevelt, Franklin, and Coulee Montessori under one brand new roof.

“It kinda has that new smell,” said fourth grader Elliana Wicks.

“New classrooms, and the new field and the school is one of the best,” said fourth grader Jack Freitag.

“I’ve been watching this school get built and I’m so happy that it finally got built, and I get to go to it,” said fourth grader Aidyn Timm.

In the last week 21 new students enrolled at Northside Elementary school including eight on Monday.