As an educator, this summer flew by. As a parent, I am not sure I can say the same. However you feel, I hope your family enjoyed the summer months.
The day that school ended in June, our custodians began their work preparing the building for opening day this Wednesday. This includes taking every piece of furniture out of every room, cleaning and waxing the floors, deep cleaning every rug, and carefully cleaning each desk, table, and chair before placing them back. The finishing touches include fresh coats of wax on every hallway tile in the building. Our Pirate Ship is currently sparkling clean!
From my perspective, this summer can be summed up in one word: hiring. With retirements, maternity leaves, professional exploration years, out-of-state moves, and career changes, we had a summer full of hiring. I have always considered hiring one of the most important aspects of my job as principal, and I believe we found a team of all-stars this summer. New teaching staff include:
● Carol Shields, Grade 2 Teacher
● Kacee Evitts, Social Worker
● Hana Bowker-Wickersham, PreK–4 Music Teacher
● Amanda Phillips, Special Education Teacher
● Hailey DeLuca, Special Education Teacher
● Jennifer Fine, Social Worker
● Heather DaCosta, School Psychologist
● Elizabeth Moore, Special Education Teacher
● Melissa Campanini, Grade 3 Teacher
● Regan Yakubian, School Nurse
I could not be more excited for your children to meet these new staff members.
Creating schedules for both an elementary school and a middle school that build upon the strengths of past years, while best utilizing staff in both models, is another major task each summer. After helping to create building schedules for the last 11 years at Jacobs, I believe this year's is our strongest schedule for students and staff. Final touches will be made tomorrow, and then all JMS schedules will go live. Please know that changes will certainly be made for individual students in the days leading up to school and even into the first weeks, to ensure they best meet the needs of each child.
This week, the quiet days Mrs. Abatuno and I shared in the office seemed like a distant memory as the building came back to life. New Teacher Orientation ran from Tuesday through Thursday, while staff eager to get a jumpstart worked diligently in their classrooms to prepare for the first day. On Monday and Tuesday, all staff will return for two days of professional development before our doors officially open. Come Wednesday, we will be more than ready.
Enjoy these final days of summer. I look forward to welcoming your children back on the 27th!
