DYSART – Students in the Union Community School District put their best foot forward this past Monday, Aug. 25, on what was the first day of the 2025-26 school year. And as he has every year since beginning in the fall of 2022, Dysart-Geneseo Elementary School Principal Derek Weber enthusiastically greeted arriving students – high fives all around! – as they made their way toward the school’s front entrance Monday morning. With temperatures hovering just under 50 degrees and the sun shining brightly overhead, drop-off was a pleasant experience weatherwise with most students opting to wear a light jacket. One of the final families to make their way up the sidewalk was Weber’s own, including his sons Shay and Rhys who were accompanied on their first day by mom Chelsey and younger sister Grace. After posing in front of the entrance doors for a few photos including a family selfie, Weber quickly pivoted to greeting the next student bounding up the walk. When asked if he was ready for the new year, Weber told the newspaper he certainly was and that the first day of school continues to be one of his favorite experiences as principal.