First Days, Fresh Starts, and Welcoming Schools | Anchorage News

Anchorage schools kicked off the year with a thoughtful, staggered return: elementary and select high school students welcomed back with safety, smiles, and fresh starts. At Williwaw Elementary, new Principal Erik Viste and teachers like Peter Van Brunt focused on social-emotional learning—teaching kids “friends and feelings” to build confidence and classroom success. Meanwhile, South Anchorage High gave freshmen their own dedicated day, complete with peer mentors guiding them through a scavenger hunt to ease nerves and avoid past struggles like lost classes or time management chaos. Once a budget casualty, this $5K program now helps turn first-day terror into triumph, as staff and seniors work together to make high school feel less intimidating—and more like home.

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