District has 3 C’s for new school year
By: Jessica Beym
Chief School Administrator Carol Malouf said that updates and changes to the curriculum, classrooms and cafeteria should mean a healthy, happy 2006-2007 school year.
As of Wednesday, 641 students were enrolled in the school and Mrs. Malouf said that she expected a few more to register before the start of school this Wednesday.
Once the doors open for a full day of school at 8:30 a.m., students can expect to experience a number of changes.
For starters, the auditorium and eight classrooms in the 1949 and 1957 editions of the building have been equipped with a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The project was completed over the summer. New cabinets and wipe boards were also installed in those classrooms.
In the cafeteria, students will find that the traditional sweet snacks are no longer offered and healthier, more nutritious foods and beverages will be available.
There will be no more candy, gum or soda in the cafeteria. Snacks like potato chips, pretzels and ice cream will not be offered to children in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Ms. Malouf said the changes are part of a new nutrition policy enforced by the federal government.
"Anything that has sugar listed as the first ingredient is not permitted," Ms. Malouf said. "The upper grades will have snacks, but they have been changed to ensure the fat content is where it needs to be. This is all to improve (reduce) obesity of children and provide healthier diets."
Two reach-in coolers will hold the students’ beverages, and for the older students it will have salads or cold lunches.
Once the munching is done and the students are energized and back in their classrooms, they will find that the teachers have been working hard to update the curriculum and bring in new ideas.
This year the social studies curriculum for grades six through eight has been updated and there will be new textbooks. The art curriculum, instrumental music, general music, as well as physical education and health programs have also been rewritten.
Teachers of students in kindergarten through third grade also developed new reading programs.
Ms. Malouf said that the changes in education keep the school abreast of new developments. They are also in line with the state’s core curriculum standards.
In addition, there are alsoa few new staff members on board this year. Ms. Malouf said the district hired a full-time fifth-grade teacher, a full-time special education teacher and a part-time physical education teacher.
The district has also set a number of objectives to follow through the course of the year, Ms. Malouf said. Some of those plans include updating the technology, writing, and literacy curriculum and also how the students are assessed.
Ms. Malouf said they are also looking to have more students score higher on the writing portion of state tests this year. Setting benchmarks will hopefully help them achieve that goal, Ms. Malouf said.
"Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is a progress and working together is a success," will be this year’s motto, Ms. Malouf said.