Central Middle School invites students back with help from local community leaders

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - It’s that time of year again for students all across Texoma, and teachers and faculty at Central Middle School helped to make that first day back special, by inviting the community inside to meet and greet students as they headed to their first class.

CMS staff extended an invitation to community leaders, church groups, business leaders, and your 7news team.

Both Haley Wilson & Mark Rigsby joined everyone at CMS Thursday morning, and they said the event was full of energy!

Larissa Krusinsky, a teacher at CMS and one of the event’s organizers, told us more about why they believe it was so important for the community to show up at Thursday’s festivities to support students.

“Central Middle School wants to show everyone that we’re ready for school, and that we’re excited to have our students here. And, we also want everyone to know that we can’t do this alone as staff and faculty, and so we have invited community members, state representatives and anybody who is just willing to come show love to our students. We want them to see that we are prepared and we are excited for them to come back to school and that there are people here, ready to greet them,” said Krusinsky.

Krusinsky said she was overwhelmed seeing how many people turned out Thursday, because she had no idea who all would show up after sending out the invitations.

Pastor Willy James Tiller Jr. was there to greet students, and told us why he felt honored to be invited to be part of welcoming students.

“The community is here, community partners, not just teachers, and we’re all just trying to assist the kids, to get to that level of excellence. It means a lot, it’s inclusive being apart of the community, and the school system has made it so that we can participate and feel like we’re part of all the kids education, so it means a lot,”

Pastor Tiller Junior said his favorite part was greeting the children, and watching them try and work their lockers, because for many of them it was their first time using a locker, since being virtual in years past due to COVID-19.

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