Schools Ready for Tuesday Opening; Staff Meets Monday in Ward Hill

Administrators and staff in the Haverhill public schools preparing for new and returning students when city schools open for classes Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Teachers, administrators and other faculty will gather Monday morning for a day-before-school general staff meeting, according to Superintendent James F. Scully. The meeting begins at 8 a.m., Monday, at DiBurro’s Function Facilities, Ward Hill. Preparations include fresh coats of paint in buildings and various leadership changes at the school and central office levels over the summer.

“Different students, different teachers and maybe even different leaders, but the goal remains the same…learning and growth for all,” Scully said in a letter this week to school department staff and parents. “For some of you the changes will be significant. I don’t know for certain but my guess is the Royal Guards Of the Household Division practice a great deal to pull of their changing of the guard. Rest assured we’ve been practicing too.”

Among “changes and improvements” outlined by Scully, a special kindergarten orientation being held Sept. 1 through 3 at Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter School. Groups of six new students will gather on assigned days and “give the children a chance to explore their classroom, get to know their teacher and experience what kindergarten will be like.” Pre-K and Kindergarten classes begin on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Other changes include individual classroom libraries at J. G. Whittier Middle School, a new “cyber café” at the high school and a so-called “positive behavior system” (PBIS) at Nettle Middle School. “The staff will be trained on PBIS with a goal to place a greater emphasis on reinforcing positive behaviors in our school in order to create a more safe and orderly learning environment for all students,” Scully added.

“We will continue to implement research-based, high quality instructional practices with an increased focus on job embedded professional development,” Scully said. “An ongoing analysis of our success through formative assessment, data discussions and timely feedback will keep us on track and affirm the work we are doing is yielding success for our students.”

One thought on “Schools Ready for Tuesday Opening; Staff Meets Monday in Ward Hill

  1. “learning and growth for all,” Scully said –

    Then please remember to vote out School Committee Members that are pro-PARCC/Common Core. Allow teachers to teach and students learn the ability to critically THINK on their own.