Students transition smoothly after spring break

After two glorious weeks of freedom and sunshine, the students at both Sisters Elementary School and Middle School were ready to hit the books again. For the most part, anyway.

"I thought break was too short," said fifth grader Benny Urquhart. "We did a lot of fun stuff, like go to the skate park in Redmond. We watched 'Ice Age' twice."

Urquhart's second grade brother, Seth, disagreed.

"I liked going back to school," he said. "They built a new Wall Ball court and I got to play today. And we didn't have any homework."

"As far as I can tell," said elementary school principal Tim Comfort, "the kids look like they are doing well. They are certainly more healthy than they were before spring break -- for which we are grateful. I don't know about their learning edge, but attendance is good and so is their attitude."

Sisters Middle School also experienced a smooth transition as the students returned to the classroom.

"The first day back after spring break went smoothly," said Marion Harrison, who teaches at the middle school. "Everyone is in a really good mood because of the great weather. Lots of the kids took trips and really felt like they had a vacation."

Some of the exotic spots visited by students and staff over spring break included California, Cancun, Japan, Italy, and the Grand Canyon.

Lora Nordquist, who spent her time off in San Diego, felt the students and staff returned in good spirits.

"I think people are rested, relaxed, and upbeat," she said. "We have a few sunburned faces, but that's mostly from snowboarding and skiing."

Scholastics weren't too intense for the students on the first day back, but teachers were gearing up for the state testing next week.

"We need to be in a serious academic mood," said Nordquist, "but we did things before the break to set the tone. I think the rest was great for all of us."