Published: August 28, 2008 09:56 am         

Classes to begin next week

By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer

Summer is coming to an end and students are preparing for the start of another school year. Some purchase hip school supplies, sport new wardrobes and even get a new hairstyle for the big day back. While parents and students are adjusting to the transition from August to September, so are faculty and staff at each school district. Teachers are getting their classrooms and curriculum in order, while administrators are getting their staffing and programming in place.

Students attending Cooperstown Central School will begin classes on Wednesday, Sept. 3, while those at Milford and Cherry- Valley Springfield central schools will have one more day before heading back to school — those students will start Thursday, Sept. 4.

CCS Superintendent Mary Jo McPhail said she always looks forward to seeing the students and staff at the beginning of the year. McPhail said the district is expecting about 1,020 students for the 2008-09 school year. She said that figure is down about 20 students compared to last year.

CCS has some new faces to kick off the 2008-09 school year. Andrea Wissick has been hired full-time to teach in the newly formed autism support class at the elementary school. Katie Lambert has been hired halftime to work with middle and high school students in the resource room. Julie Weeks will teach high school science halftime, and Lauren Warner will serve as a long-term substitute teaching high school English. Peggy Leon will also be joining the CCS staff as an ETC volunteer coordinator at the high school. According to McPhail, Leon will arrange for speakers to come to the school.

McPhail said the middle school has completed its second year implementing Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, an integrated approach of instruction, and is looking forward to continuing that work during the coming year. Each year for the past few years, students and teachers at the elementary school have adopted a special theme that is used as a focal point for much of what is done throughout the year. This year’s theme will be “Reach for the STARS,” which stands for scholarship, tolerance, attitude, respect and service.

According to McPhail, the Kid City playground has been demolished and the new one is expected to be completed during the first week of October. Video clips can be found on the district’s website, coo- perstowncs.org. Also, before and after photos are expected to be on display in the lobby at the elementary school open house, which will be held Thursday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Elementary Principal Theresa Gorman said the construction is not noisy now, but she cannot be sure how it will affect the students while in class. However, Gorman said she thinks the crew will be done digging and she hopes they will be assembling the playground equipment by the time the kids get back to school. Business manager James Collison said it should not pose a big problem.

``There are only three or four guys working at the site, so it is not like they are tripping all over one another,’’ said Collison at last week’s board of education meeting. ``It is not like it is a huge construction site.’’

According to discussion at the board meeting, the district is also anticipating having a new PA system up and running by Christmas. Bus routes will remain essentially the same as last year. Parents with questions should contact the head bus driver at 547-8331.

CCS will be holding its middle school open house on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. and its high school open house on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Classes at Milford Central School will begin Thursday, Sept. 4. Students will be introduced to three new faces — Eamonn Hinchey, who will teach seventh and eighth grade science, Mary Armstrong, who will teach elementary reading and Julie Gallucci, a licensed teaching assistant. Superintendent Peter Livshin said he is still looking for one more licensed teaching assistant.

Principal Ben Badurina submitted a letter of resignation at the district’s Aug. 13 board of education meeting. The board accepted his resignation and according to Livshin, the district has hired a replacement — Michael Miller. Livshin said Miller will begin his duties at MCS in October. Miller is the CSE chair and director of student support services at Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Central School, where he has been employed for approximately seven years.

Livshin said he is anticipating about 475 to 490 students for the 2008-09 school year, which he said is about average for the district. Along with new faces, MCS also has a new look for its website. The district is now using a new system called Edline. Teachers will be able to post homework on their web page and parents or students will not require a user name and password to access homework.

MCS will hold its middle school open house on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. and the elementary school open house on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School students will begin classes on Thursday, Sept 4. Superintendent Nicholas Savin is expecting a few less students (about 610 compared to about 630 last year) for the 2008-09 school year due to a large graduating class last year. Savin said about 50 students graduated in 2008, and the incoming kindergarten class is expected to be in the mid 40’s.

CV-S has hired several new employees for the 2008- 09 school year. The district hired four elementary teachers — Jacquie Lunser, Jodie Jochem, Ozzie Avinaut and Alison Kubis. Other new employees include Principal Jeffrey Bennett; Assistant Principal and math teacher Robert Miller; Assistant Principal, technology coordinator and athletic director Steven Davis; technology teacher Charles Alex; science teacher Karen Shaffer; English teacher Jason Mosenthin; teacher aid and cafeteria worker Tammie Waterman and bus driver and cafeteria workers Ginger Cummings and Marian Santoro. This summer the preliminary designs for the district’s renovation project were approved, and construction documents are being prepared and are expected to be submitted to the New York State Education Department by mid fall, said Savin. CV-S will hold its K-12 open house Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.