1 of 7

Susie B. West Elementary students created drawings of super heroes that were stapled to the bulletin board outside of their classroom. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Serenity Patten, 6, works on a spelling worksheet Thursday at Suise B. West Elementary in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Princess Green, 6, talks to her classmates while working on a spelling worksheet Thursday at Susie B. West Elementary in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Quinell Davis, 7, completes his spelling worksheet Thursday at Susie B. West Elementary in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Elijah White, 6, hands in his spelling worksheet Thursday at Susie B. West Elementary in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

(Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Susie B. West Elementary students created drawings of super heroes that were stapled to the bulletin board outside of their classroom. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — Clark Kent started out as a farm boy before he became Superman. Peter Parker started out as a shy photographer before he became Spiderman. Following their lead, Susie B. West Elementary students are getting ready to blossom into superheroes, too.

The Natchez-Adams School District welcomed students to fly back to campus Aug. 7 and show off their superpowers in the classroom — by being “kind, smart and courageous” this school year, said Ariel Evans, a first-grade teacher at the school.

Two weeks from day one, students in Evans’s first-grade class reminisced their first day jitters with added enthusiasm.

“Our school theme this year is superheroes,” Evans said. “I told them to design themselves as the superhero that they would like to be this school year.”

Students in Evans’s class colored pictures of themselves as their favorite superheroes after practicing on cut outs of paper apples with hands and faces — all to show that they were powered up and ready to learn.

“We did them when we first started school,” Princess Green said as she pointed to the apple she colored. “I was excited to go on the playground. … I love school … because it’s my favorite, and I get to learn.”

Serenity Patten drew her superhero holding an ice-cream cone “because he saves lots a people on a hot day — a thousand of them,” she said.

“He had to save all of them from a fire 10 times — 10 fires. He ate the other ice-cream before I could even give it to him,” Patten said.

Evans said some of her students’ superpowers are their imaginations.

“They kind of just designed (their heroes) on their own,” Evans said. “They colored (the apples) on their first day of school. They had their crayons and their glue and got to make it however they wanted, so all of them look slightly different.”

Elijah White colored his apple purple, simply because that is his favorite color. White said he wasn’t nervous at all when he first started Evans’ class.

“I knew Miss Evans since I was in kindergarten,” he said.

White said he was excited to be in Evans’ class. Other students were a little shyer, such as Amaya Groce who attended kindergarten at Holy Family Elementary School last year.

“It was new,” Groce said about Evans’s class. “Miss Evans is nice. She lets us play outside.”

Groce said she has already made many friends in class, and is excited for this school year.

Patten said on her first day of school she learned about a superpower that would help everyone have a good year at Susie B. West Elementary School.

“We learned about our rules,” Patten said. “To respect others … to listen to them and when they tell you to do something you do it — only if it’s not bad.”

More Style feature

Day to discuss 1837 loss of steamboat Monmouth at Historical Society event

Master artist to offer free oil painting workshops in Natchez

Natchez author publishes book of short stories

AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY: Antique cars make their way through historic Natchez on Natchez Trace Tour