CULLMAN, Ala. – School is officially back in session this week. Students in Cullman City Schools will return to classes Wednesday, Aug. 11, and teachers and administrators have high hopes and big plans for the 2021-2022 school year.
At Cullman City Primary School, Principal Tricia Culpepper said teachers spent the past several weeks working hard on their classrooms to prepare for students and families.
“We will have a number of new faces at CCPS this year, and we are looking forward to having our new staff on our campus,” she said. “One exciting thing to look for is some new improvements on our playground this year that students will really enjoy.”
With summer coming to an end, East Elementary School Principal David Wiggins said he’s most excited about having students back on campus — which will have a fresh look for 2021 thanks to some painting and upgrades. The school is also celebrating its 85th birthday this year, after first opening its doors in 1936.
“As teachers, students are the reason we do what we do; they are our purpose,” Wiggins said, “All of the classroom preparation, professional development, and instructional planning is for our students. When I see teachers and students back together in the classrooms, my cup is filled.”
West Elementary School Principal Jay Page echoed those sentiments, noting he’s also “extremely excited” to kick off the 2021 school year.
Cullman High School Principal Kim Hall added, ”We look forward to a great school year with a renewed focus on the standard of excellence which has always been the foundation of Cullman High School’s success.”
Cullman Middle School Principal Jake Johnson said faculty and staff have been working diligently to prepare for this fall. The administration is also hard at work finalizing plans to begin some new construction on campus, with hopes to break ground in early 2022.
“Our superintendent, Kyle Kallhoff, has been an integral part of the planning process, and we are excited to get construction started,” Johnson said.
One change parents and students should look out for is the change in pickup/drop-off location. All students will be dropped off and picked up on the north side of campus. Oak Drive is currently closed due to the construction of a new sewer line. The closure of Oak Drive resulted in the subsequent closure of Eighth Street, the normal drop-off and pickup location.
“We have mailed a traffic map to all of our students with their schedules for the upcoming school year,” Johnson said, “Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs and Cullman Police Chief Kenny Culpepper have been very supportive and great to work with throughout the process of developing our new traffic plan. Please understand this will be a fluid situation as our traffic plan may have to change as the school year progresses.”
