By Rita Howell

Across Panola County more than 6,600 school children are headed back to school this week.

Most students in the South Panola School District will begin classes on Wednesday. North Delta students are headed back to school for orientation on Friday. In the North Panola District, classes for students in grades K-12 start Friday.

South Panola District

Pope School and Batesville Elementary School will host back-to-school open houses today. Parents and children are invited to Pope School from 3 to 5:30 p.m. to meet teachers and enjoy games, exercises and other activities. At Batesville Elementary, parents and students are invited to Back to School Night from 5-6:30 p.m.

All Pope students in grades K-8 will attend school Wednesday.

At Batesville Elementary, all preschoolers, all first graders and kindergarten girls only will attend on Wednesday. On Thursday, preschoolers, first graders and kindergarten boys will attend. On Friday everyone comes to school.

Batesville Intermediate and Batesville Middle School students begin classes on Wednesday.

At Batesville Junior High, sixth graders only come to school on Wednesday. All seventh and eighth graders come to school on Thursday. Sixth graders get a holiday that day. On Friday, all BJH students come to school.

At South Panola High School, ninth graders only will attend school on Wednesday. On Thursday the freshmen stay home and all tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders come to school. On Friday, everybody comes to school.

North Delta School

Students in grades K5-12 at North Delta School will attend orientation sessions Friday morning, from 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

An open house is planned Friday from  5- 6 p.m., with teachers in their classrooms to talk with parents and students. The North Delta Booster Club will sell barbecue chicken dinners in the cafeteria from 5:30-6:30 p.m. At 6:30 students and parents are invited to the school’s newly renovated gym for “Meet the Wave” night.

The first full day of classes for North Delta students is Monday, August 9.

North Panola District

The North Panola School District will host Parent Information and Registration Days Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the campuses of Como Elementary, Green Hill Elementary, North Panola Junior High School and North Panola High School.

Registration at Crenshaw Elementary continues today from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All students in grades K-12 in the North Panola District will start back to school on Friday for a full day.