MILLSTONE — Township schools hummed with the sounds of children experiencing their first day of school on Sept. 8.
Superintendent of Schools Mary Anne Donahue said the first few days of the new school year have gone well.
“We were thrilled to have the students, teachers and staff back in district. Our buildings are alive again.”
Unlike last year, students had no major busing issues.
Business Administrator Bernard Biesaida said the majority of calls that came in were to confirm bus stop locations and schedules.
“Our drivers are doing a wonderful job, and have assisted the transportation office prior to the beginning of school by practicing their runs and giving suggestions based on being out in the field practicing the runs,” he said.
While buses wound up running 10 minutes late to school Tuesday morning and 20 minutes late to the last stop at the end of that day, all buses ran on time by Sept. 9, according to Biesaida.
He said the school district had to make a minor adjustment to the way buses were entering the elementary school property, which immediately improved getting the buses and children in to the school on time before moving the buses on to the primary school.
“I feel we are weeks ahead of where we were last year,” Biesaida said.
When asked what’s new in the district this year, Donahue said that a special education class has been added to the primary school to address an enrollment increase. Melissa Coyle, a special education teacher at the elementary school last year, was transferred to the primary school to teach the new class.
Natalie Lombardo has taken the position of elementary
school secretary. Suzanne Malmos transferred from the middle school to the primary school. Laurie Amato, who had the clerktypist position at the elementary school, now has the secretary position at that school.
New hires include Jaclyn Henry as a leave replacement for Joanne McLean; Jenna Lopez as a half-year leave replacement for Michelle Vigliotti; Ann Marie Thierran as the clerk-typist in the elementary school; Jennifer Savery as a mathematics teacher replacing Lisa Dittmeir, who resigned to take a job in South Carolina; Denise Fichera as a half-year leave replacement for Michal Friedman who teaches at the middle school; and Bill Butler who has joined the custodial staff.
As a decision has yet to be made on filling the middle school assistant principal position vacated by Matthew Howell, who is now principal of that school after the resignation of Michelle Vella, Karen Barry, an assistant principal from the elementary school, will temporarily help out at the middle school, according to Donahue.
“Mrs. Barry knows the middle school children and has experience as a middle school teacher,” she said. “While Mrs. Barry is helping out at the middle school, Laura Vetere, our director of curriculum and instruction, has moved her office temporarily to the elementary school.”