The return to class marks the beginning of another school year for thousands of families in the Cister region, with most schools starting tomorrow. The feeling is one of joy mixed with some anxiety, reflected differently at each educational level. José Bizarro, 10 years old, feels happy to leave the small EB1 in Vestiaria to join Escola Básica Frei Estêvão Martins, while his mother, Goreti Peça, expresses concerns about the transition from a very protected environment to a larger school. In the same situation is Afonso Estrelinha, 10 years old, who is saying goodbye to Centro Escolar de Famalicão for Escola Amadeu Gaudêncio in Nazaré, and Rui Tang, 12 years old, who is starting 7th grade with worries about the greater academic demands.
School administrations are finalizing the organization of the new school year. At the Agrupamento de Escolas de Cister, director Manuela Lourenço mentions the return of students to EB 2,3 in Pataias after temporary relocation due to damage from Storm Kristin, and councilor Paula Malojo confirms that the school will open with necessary conditions in rehabilitated blocks and modular facilities. In Benedita, Externato Cooperativo is launching a new Educational Project and applying for the "School that Knows Wellbeing" seal, restricting the use of mobile phones in the 3rd cycle. The Agrupamento de Escolas da Benedita, with 1,101 students, stands out for its integration in the National Arts Plan and its eco-cluster status.
In Nazaré, the Agrupamento de Escolas (1,800 students) will temporarily use rooms at Externato D. Fuas Roupinho after the removal of modular structures, awaiting the construction of new rooms. Escola Profissional da Nazaré is inaugurating the Specialized Industrial Technology Centre, maintaining 200 students and opening new 10th grade classes. At Externato Dom Fuas Roupinho, the highlight is the new Photography Operator course. In Porto de Mós, the school year is marked by the closure of EB 2,3 Dr. Manuel de Oliveira Perpétua, with approximately 250 students moving to the requalified Escola Secundária, whose official inauguration takes place on September 15th, in a cluster that registers 2,830 students.
At Instituto Educativo do Juncal, the novelty is the new Specialized Industrial Technology Centre, an investment of 1.7 million euros, expected to accommodate approximately 830 students with a focus on digital tools, Artificial Intelligence, and Cambridge English from pre-school. João Tenda, a 12th-grade student at IEJ, expresses happiness at completing this stage and desire to go to university. Rui Tang's mother, Luísa Tang, underscores the importance of teachers in following up with students: "I believe that the way a teacher looks at a child, recognizes their effort, and encourages them can make all the difference so that they believe in their own abilities."
