Smooth first day for new Mundelein school

The first day of class is enough to give any kid butterflies.

But when an entirely new school opens, students, teachers -- even district officials -- anxiously await the results of day-one.

At Fremont Intermediate School, Tuesday came and went with a sigh of relief.

"It went remarkably well today," Fremont Elementary District 79 Superintendent Rick Taylor said. "It ran very smoothly."

The Mundelein school opened its doors to students for a half-day that most involved said went off without a hitch.

Fourth grade teacher Amber Rychlik said instructors held signs with their names on them outside the building for the hundreds of kids to stream off school buses in the morning.

"It was pretty exciting," Rychlik said, adding she was especially grateful for one perk on the 85-degree plus day: air conditioning.

"We were very happy," she said.

District 79 officials expressed relief the operation wasn't chaotic or crowded.

"We didn't have the traffic congestion that we anticipated," Taylor said. "Things flowed smoothly onto the site. It was great to see."

Fremont Intermediate School Principal Denise Glasgow said last weekend's meet-and-greet probably oiled the hinges for opening day.

"I felt it really helped at the intermediate building," Glasgow said, noting students and parents got the opportunity to tour the area and acclimate themselves to the new building. "(Students) got to meet their teacher -- it certainly helped.

Sarah Edgell, Fremont Intermediate School's nurse, said there was last-minute scrambling to get everything into place for students.

"It was exciting... We got in the end of last week," she said, adding preparing for the kids' arrival took all the time available. "I wish I had one more week."

Taylor said at least two spates of terrible weather hampered the district's construction timetable for the school. The first, a wet fall in 2006, came at a terrible time.

"It was one of the wettest falls on record, right when you needed to excavate the site," Taylor said. Then, heavy snowfall in late winter and early spring further slowed building.

But Taylor says the crucial areas, such as the academic wing, were finished on time.

"We got the job done through a tremendous effort," Taylor said, adding the rest of the school should be completed by late November.

Despite the remaining finishing touches, Fremont Intermediate School staff said they're relieved to have the school year off and running.

"Now I actually have a home," Edgell said with a smile.