Every year with the start of school, something huge happens for the kids in our communities: They start school, many of them for the first time. With funding issues, budget cuts, provisional accreditation, and superintendent changes in the news, sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of that big thing right in our midst: the wondrous, exhilarating, stressful and joyful first day.
For photographer Lara Shipley, the challenge of capturing those moments was irresistible. Here’s an essay she built around her experiences attending the “First Day” at several Kansas City-area schools. Thanks to the schools, teachers and students that let us document these moments.
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