Here’s what you may want to know, and links to what you may need to know as classes resume for students in West Hartford Public Schools on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015.
Progress of construction at Charter Oak International Academy as seen on webcam at 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2015.
By Ronni Newton
The floors are polished and the buses are ready to roll as approximately 9,500 West Hartford Public Schools students head back to the classroom on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015.
Teachers began the new academic year a few days in advance, on Monday, when they were welcomed back at the annual convocation ceremony that was highlighted by an energetic presentation by Superintendent of Schools Tom Moore.
When students head to class on Wednesday, 40 new teachers will be there to greet them. In addition, 35 interim or long-term substitutes have been given permanent positions.
The final school population won’t be calculated until October, but Assistant Superintendent for Administration Andy Morrow said that the 9,500 estimate is “down a little but on par with trends and projections.”
There are only 600 kindergartners expected to begin school this week, with only two sections at both Morley and Whiting Lane. Class size overall will remain small, which Morrow attributes to a “real commitment from the standpoint of the Board of Education.”
Morrow said the district has new elementary school principals at Aiken (James Quinn), Braeburn (Jeffrey Sousa), Charter Oak International Academy (Juan Melián), and Smith STEM (Teresa Giolito). The announcement of Sousa as Braeburn’s principal was announced less than two weeks ago, but Morrow is confident that the school community “will fall in love with him.”
The Charter Oak community can see tangible evidence that the new building is quickly becoming a reality. “The steel is being finished and they are starting to pour the concrete,” Morrow said.
The Charter Oak construction project is on track, Morrow said, and the return of students will not affect the schedule.
The district has a new security director, Morrow said. Eric Dency, who has more than 20 years of experience with the Connecticut State Police, has been working with principals and security guards to ensure that all properties are safe, Morrow said. Dency also works closely with the West Hartford Police Departments School Resource Officers (SROs) to ensure that roles are clearly defined.
Morrow said that Hall’s SRO, Officer Stacy Thomas, has retired and his replacement will be announced shortly.
On the technology side, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Instruction and Assessment Nancy DePalma said that she is very excited about the appointment of two educational technology integration specialists.
The two specialists, Lindsey Roberts-Walstrom and Craig Diamond, are internal hires who will act in the role of technology “coaches,” DePalma said. They will work closely with her as well as Information Technology Services Chief Information Officer Jared Morin.
“What we want to have them do is work closely with building administrators and teachers, to integrate technology to use it appropriately, not just for the sake of having technology. We want to enhance, not just have it be there,” DePalma said.
In addition, the technology integration specialists will lead professional development for new as well as more seasoned teachers and assist as part of curriculum-writing teams, DePalma said.
Morin, who has headed the town’s Information Technology Services since 2013, said that under the “TechRefresh” hardware replacement model he uses, 1,300 new devices have been introduced for this academic year. Those include iPads, Chromebooks, and traditional laptops. Since 2013, 5,116 new devices have been added, 4,000 of those which are mobile.
“The lion’s share [of the new devices] are wireless,” Morin said.
Some schools already have a 1:1 ratio of devices to students, and on an overall basis the ratio is .9:1, Morin said.
“Every school is now fully wireless,” Morin said. The network has also been upgraded and strengthened where needed. His goal is for the district not to have to think about technology. “It should be something you count on and depend on every day,” Morin said.
“We’re in good shape and excited for the new year,” Morrow said.
“I’m hoping for good weather this year, with the need for very few phone calls [closing schools or delaying opening] from me,” said Morrow.
Other important information
Click on the terms below to access:
Elementary School August/September Lunch Menu
Middle School August/September Lunch Menu
Conard High School August/September Lunch Menu
Hall High School August/Septmber Lunch Menu
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