MOOSEHEART, IL - When Mooseheart Superintendent of Education Gary Urwiler talks about the opening of floodgates, he's not referring to anything related to the seemingly never-ending rain showers that have hit central Kane County recently.

Instead, he's talking about the surge in population at Mooseheart, the Child City, which has gone from a sleepy summer existence to its fully-populated school-year status practically and literally overnight.

That student population, which mostly washed back into Mooseheart over the weekend, flowed into the school building named for late Director General Malcolm R. Giles on Monday (Aug. 20) morning for the first day of classes.

"School is on," Urwiler said. "Just to see the kids again. They look great. We're really excited to start school. The students are what we're here for. It's a great day for everybody."

On the opening day of school, there are 199 school children at Mooseheart. Of those, 2 are nursery school children, 38 are in the elementary school wing of the Giles school building, 50 are middle school students and 113 are Mooseheart High School students.

"It's a little nerve-wracking for some of our kids," Mooseheart Executive Director Scott Hart said. "We have a good number of new children in the school, children who arrived since the last school year ended. Although many of them have been on campus, they haven't had the organization of a school day."

The school building is a focal point to each student's day at Mooseheart, and steps are made to try to help each student find success in that environment.

"For a good number of our kids, school is an area where they haven't seen a lot of success," Hart said. "Whether it's through absenteeism or from not having someone to guide them through their homework or in having teachers to help them through their studies, we want to do the things necessary to help them participate effectively in our learning environment."

Mooseheart's seven kindergarten students began their formal education on Monday. The Child City's nursery school is also housed in the Giles school building. As they entered their school room and found their desks for the first time, there was that unmistakable combination of excitement and apprehension at the coming school year.

"They have a big desk, get a locker and get to carry a backpack," Urwiler said of the kindergarteners. "They're excited and really look forward to this day."

Hart said the current mixture of students, which is tipped more toward the high school, is not a worry.

"It does cycle through," Hart said. "We go through areas where the admissions for one age or one sex tends to outpace the other. But like a horse area, they all balance out at the wire."

Hart said Mooseheart Director of Admissions Kyle Rife has reported 24 students moving through the admissions process. Added to a further eight students who are enrolled but have yet to arrive at Mooseheart, the ultimate student population for the 2007-08 school year should clear the 230 number.

And as the students moved to class, the reality that the school year and summer was officially over rang clearly through the previously silent hallways.

"Even though summer seems short at times, it's nice to hear the ruckus of lockers slamming shut and seeing kids in the hallway," Urwiler said. "It gets lonely here in the summer. It is a good feeling to see the kids back and to hear the noise."