More Than 5,000 Newtown Students Head Back To School

By Tanjua Damon

The solemn silence Newtown schools faced over the summer ended Tuesday with the chaotic enthusiasm over 5,000 students brought to the hallways and classrooms as they entered the buildings for the first day of school.

Bus engines hummed through the streets of Newtown, bringing the students to and from school. It was mostly smiles as the students arrived at school, joining their friends and heading off to class to begin the new year.

Faculty and staff at all the schools worked hard over the summer to ensure a smooth opening for the first day of school. Principals are pleased with how all the hard work and dedication paid off.

Many school parking lots were improved with new paving and added spaces, especially at Sandy Hook and Middle Gate. Sandy Hook’s parking lot added more spaces. There is a new routine for buses to unload and a parent drop-off to help ease congestion at the school that is home to almost 770 students this year.

“We were thrilled to enjoy an extremely smooth school opening with 770 students. I think the hard work of the staff ensured that all the preparation was complete,” Sandy Hook Principal Donna Pagé said. “We look forward to a rewarding year. Expanding the parking lot and rerouting of drop-offs, we believe we have an efficient system.”

Newtown Middle School is busting at the seams, but that did not hamper the first day of school and the excitement displayed by the students as they hugged friends and high-fived past teachers as they entered the building on Queen Street Tuesday. The first day brought 1,225 students to the middle school, which ended the school year last June with 1,189 students.

“It was a wonderful day with great students and a staff that put in all their hard work over the summer,” Newtown Middle School Principal Diane Sherlock said. “It’s great to have them back. Despite the fact that we are really overcrowded, things went smoothly.”

Currently the library media center has been transformed into two classrooms for two clusters that are awaiting the completion of  their new classrooms. The classrooms are expected to be ready within the next two weeks, according to Ms Sherlock.

Gridlock returned to Route 34 in Sandy Hook as over 1,300 students started back to school at Newtown High School; almost 400 were freshman.

“I think we had one of the smoothest openings we’ve had in years,” Assistant Principal Jules Triber said. “It was a great wonderful first day.”

The front foyer of the high school looked for a time like the lobby at a rock concert, but once the bell rang it was off to homeroom ready for business.

“It’s the exuberance of the first day. You can hear that,” Mr Triber said. “It’s always amazed me how the students here know how to get down to business.”

Being at a new school can be scary and frustrating, but the incoming freshman class seems to have everything under control by day’s end, according to Mr Triber. He attributes that to the freshman orientation held about a week before school starts when students are able to tour the school and talk with upperclassmen about the high school.

“I think that helps. It makes them more comfortable,” he said.

Hawley School began the school year on a good note. The first day totaled 553 students, of which 41 are new. The school has 33 new families this year.

“Hawley had a wonderful opening to the school year,” Principal Jo-Ann Peters said. “The students came excited and eager to begin the new year. It was almost seamless.”

Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed visited five of the six schools in the district on opening day. Of those he visited, the principals were pleased with the kickoff of the new school year.

The 554 students at Head O’ Meadow School were anxious to be back in school. Faculty and staff spent much of the summer reorganizing and preparing for the students.

“After a summer of teacher and room reorganizations, we were reminded of the main purpose of our summer efforts when we saw the smiling faces of our students,” Head O’ Meadow Principal Bill Bircher said. “The day went very smoothly and gave promise of the days to come.”

“The principals indicated it went smooth,” Dr Reed said. “We want this enthusiasm we have to last throughout the year.”

Morning transportation went well, according to Director of Transportation Mary Kelly. The afternoon went well considering the district office lost electricity just as buses were heading home. Ms Kelly was dispatching to buses from her car.

“I thought we had an excellent day,” she said. “All in all it was a terrific day.”

Ms Kelly praised the drivers and their hard work in getting the students to and from school safely.