It’s ‘Back to School’ for parents of high schoolers
By:Krzysztof Scibiorski
Parents of Manville High School students had a chance to meet their children’s teachers as well as the new principal, Terrance Fitzpatrick, at the school’s annual Back to School Night on Monday.
Shortly after 7 p.m., the parents gathered in the school’s auditorium to hear opening remarks from Schools Superintendent Francis X. Heelan, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Vice Principal Mary McGovern and Guidance Director William Arroyo. Ms. McGovern and Mr. Arroyo also are recent additions to the administrative staff.
Dr. Heelan thanked the assembled parents for "showing interest in their children’s education" and asked for their support in the district’s upcoming referendum which is expected to take place in January. He cited the replacement of all the windows at the 40-year-old high school as one of the main objectives of the $2 million referendum.
"Please remember that we will get 40 percent of what we spend back from the state," the superintendent reassured the crowd.
In his welcoming address Mr. Fitzpatrick promised to "live up to the highest expectations possible for quality of education at Manville High School."
The new principal outlined his staff’s desire to meet the needs of today’s students. "We need to train the students to think independently, to solve problems and to become lifelong learners," Mr. Fitzpatrick said.
Ms. McGovern touted the district’s new math curriculum and stated the school’s goal is to have "75 percent of the ninth- and 11th-graders proficient at or above the national median in math" on standardized tests.
Following the welcoming speeches, parents met their children’s teachers, sitting in their desks and observing the classroom settings. Parents were provided with their students’ schedules and attended abbreviated versions of all of the classes.
For their part, the school’s teachers had a chance to present their courses to the parents and talk about their expectations and requirements.
During her "classes" RoseMary Perrotti, a first-year algebra teacher, was excited about introducing the benefits of the new textbooks to the parents.
"The new Algebra book is a beautifully done textbook, it links math to real life applications in every chapter and is very visual which is very important for many students," Ms. Perrotti said.
Reflecting on his first Back to School Night at Manville, Mr. Fitzpatrick called it a "very positive experience." He estimated that 130 sets of parents attended, noting that they accounted for up to 200 students at the school.
"I was very impressed with the parents’ attendance and their comments had a positive attitude," the new principal concluded.

