A new school year brings new faces and new excitement

The fleets of yellow school buses, the smell of newly sharpened pencils, the groans of students, along with eager (and some not-so-eager) parents taking selfies with their children across the Mat-Su Borough on August 14 could only mean one thing--the 2025-2026 school year had begun.

“The first day of school...has always been a day that’s full of tons of energy,” said Dr. Randy Trani, Superintendent of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, who said that this year marked his 36th year in education, joking that he was excited to get started on the second half of his career. “It’s fun to see all the parents dropping the kids off. All the hopes and aspirations they have for this great school year that’s coming up.”

He remarked that the joy and excitement from the students’ first day back to school is bookended by that same feeling for the end of the school year, when the students graduate.

“It’s the same hope and aspiration and feeling that we’ve given kids over 13 years that have prepared them to take on the world. I think we have the best job on the whole planet.”

The Superintendent made a visit to Snowshoe Elementary School to greet students and staff as the welcomed many familiar faces back for another school year. But students will see many new faces at the school as there are 19 new staff members at Snowshoe Elementary, including Principal Leigh Magnan.

“It’s my community school, so it’s really fun seeing kids from the neighborhood, family, friends and building that sense of community here,” said Magnan.

One new teacher to Snowshoe is Reuben Hughes, who moved from teaching high school to teaching the STEAM program at Snowshoe Elementary. “I had the opportunity to teach here in the Mat-Su, and I like working with students, regardless of how old they are.”

“The school and everyone here has been really great. I’m excited,” said Vanessa Daily, another new teacher to the school who had previously taught in Wisconsin before making the move to Alaska last year. When asked about coming here and working with so many other new faces, she said joining others new to the school helped ease any worry they may have. “It’s nice that there are other new people here, so you don’t feel so lost.”

“We have amazing things happening at Snowshoe. We’ve got quality instruction, a great team, and it’s a community-based school. We’re looking forward to the kids being in our building,” said Magnan, who said that her big hope for the new school year is building a foundation and taking instruction to the next level. “Seeing how high our kids can go and what our teams can accomplish together.”