NORWICH – Now that Labor Day weekend has come and gone, and with it – seemingly – the long, hot days of summer, students countywide are headed back to school. On Tuesday morning, Norwich City School District educators and administration met for their annual organizational meeting, prior to an afternoon of meet-and-greets at the Perry Browne and Stanford Gibson Elementary Schools, the middle school and the high school.
According to NCSD Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan, yesterday’s meeting went off without a hitch and teachers across the board seem excited to begin the 2011-2012 school year. And while the financial side of running things continues to be a problem the district will wrestle with, he added, there’s no choice but to move forward with a positive frame of mind.
“We’re well positioned academically, although finances will be an ongoing issue,” said the superintendent. “Our staff is enthusiastic and excited to get back to work and the big yellow buses are rolling. I think we’re going to have a very good year.”
With a new schedule in place – elementary students will attend school from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. while middle and high school students will hit the books from 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. – O’Sullivan said district educators will be asking themselves four questions throughout the year: “What do we want our students to know and learn? How will we know they’ve learned it? What will we do when our students are not learning and what will we do when they are?”
Identifying when students are not learning – and making any necessary changes – said the superintendent, is key. When students are succeeding, he added, it’s just as important to identify that as well, so the district can build upon that success.
On a positive note, said O’Sullivan, the NCSD Board of Education is starting out the year with a set of established goals and he expects “a lot of progress” and “forward movement,” something he added he’s happy to see.
At the high school level, the district is expanding its online educational resources, with 14 students currently signed up for the program. In addition, 35 students will accumulate college credits at NHS this year, in business and accounting, something new at the school for 2011-2012.
Teachers, said O’Sullivan, will be focusing on content writing in regards to every subject and at every grade level. In January, the NYS Board of Regents approved recommended additions to the Common Core State Standards for English, Language Arts and Literacy, as well as Mathematics and a new set of pre-kindergarten standards, he added.
Perry Browne Elementary Principal Jennifer Post was first in line to welcome students during yesterday’s meet-and-greet, which gave parents and children alike a chance to meet with teachers and find their new classroom and locker.
“I’m feeling a lot of excitement and I’m glad to see the students back,” said Post. “I’m thrilled to see the staff here and we’re really going to practice our best in time management ... to use every minute of every day to promote student success.”
Third grade teacher Jerry Lawton said he’s always excited for a new school year, not to mention a new group of students. Tuesday’s meet-and-greet, he added, is a great way to “set the tone” with his new students. He said he’s confident that – after a few days – “we’ll all get to know each other.”
As for fellow third grade teacher Heather Armstrong, a new year always brings excitement ... as well as some nervousness.
“I always tell my students that I get butterflies too,” laughed Armstrong. “But I think the standards we hold ourselves to work well. We’re focused on trying to constantly improve instruction, which is the most important thing.”
For more information on the Norwich City School District call 334-1600 or visit www.norwichcsd.org.