By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

When incoming Meadow View Elementary School kindergartener Deanna Bellman got her first look at the school on April 17, she knew she was ready for her first day of classes.

“I had fun. I liked playing on the playground and all the books in the library,” Bellman said.

But for Bellman’s mother, Betty, the upcoming school year will be somewhat bittersweet.

“It doesn’t seem like she is old enough to go to school yet,” Betty Bellman said as she hugged her daughter.

The Bellmans were among more than 100 incoming kindergarteners and parents who got better-acquainted with Meadow View on April 17 during the school’s kindergarten orientation day.

For many parents and future students, it was their first look at the inside of the school. But Taryn Owens and her daughter, Jennie, were already familiar with the building.

“I’ve already got one in first grade, so we know how it works,” Taryn Owens said with a laugh.

Jennie Owens said she is looking forward to attending the school next year, and is especially looking forward to creating masterpieces in the MVES art room.

During the orientation, school staff members put on a farm-themed show in the school’s lunchroom while the kids and parents enjoyed a snack. After the production, the kids and parents took guided tours of the school and its grounds.

Members of the Alabaster Board of Education, including Interim Superintendent Dr. Phillip Hammonds and School Board member Ty Quarles, also attended the event.

“We always have a big turnout, because the kids are thrilled to start school,” said MVES Registrar Teresa Davenport. “They’ve heard about all this stuff at the school, and they want to see it firsthand.”

Davenport also said the visit helps to put parents at ease with safety concerns.

“I get a lot of questions about school safety,” Davenport said. “But we are very proud of all the (school resource officers) we have in our schools. I think when the parents see that, it puts them at ease.”