Back to school 2021: here’s what’s new at Riverhead, SWR

It may not be Labor Day yet, but school is officially back.

Students from Riverhead and Shoreham-Wading River began their 2021-22 school year on Thursday. While protocols to protect against the spread of COVID-19 remain in place, daily routine in schools appears to be the closest to normal since the pandemic first closed schools in March 2020.

A new superintendent has taken over at Riverhead, headlining the biggest change this year.

Here is a breakdown of some of the other changes in each local district.

River head

Augustine Tornatore assumed her new role as Superintendent of the Riverhead Central School District in July. He was previously deputy superintendent in the Liberty Central School District in the upstate.

“Everyone from staff to community workers have been warm and welcoming and I really enjoyed learning more about what makes this place such a special place to work and live,” Mr. Tornatore said in a commentary. e-mail. “Over the next few months, I hope to connect with more people as we work collaboratively to build on past practices and take the district to the next level.”

Mr Tornatore said the district was delighted to relaunch the Latin program and the hiring of Latin teacher Aidan Walsh was announced on Tuesday. Students interested in participating are requested to contact their guidance counselor. The future of the Latin program looked uncertain at the end of school 2020, a year after longtime teacher Jeff “Doc” Greenberger retired and fellow Latin teacher Lorene Custer followed suit. in September 2020. At the same board meeting, another teacher who had been hired to teach Latin at the secondary level resigned just as the school year was about to begin.

Instead, the district offered an online Latin program through Sterling Academy, which offers classes to students across the country. An Aquebogue woman whose son took this course complained at the June 15 school board meeting, saying it was “incredibly difficult to work with him.”

In Tuesday’s announcement, the district said its Latin program is “rich in tradition. [and] has taught the language to students for decades through the comprehensive curriculum.

Mr Tornatore said the district is working with Rethink Ed to provide additional social / emotional learning resources for students, staff and parents.

“It is our collective hope that we can provide a sense of normalcy, as best we can, within our schools,” he said.

Mr. Tornatore said one of his main goals is to “support the staff as they strive to engage our students through the multi-level support system.” “

The district released details of its reopening plan linked to COVID-19 protocols after the Education Council approved the plan on August 17. These details are available at riverhead.net. The guidelines include the wearing of masks indoors, which has been mandated by the new governor.

“As we continue to address the challenges of COVID-19, our decisions will be based on the advice of healthcare professionals, monitoring the local infection rate and additional guidance provided by [New York State Department of Education]Said the superintendent in the reopening plan.

Even before the start of the new school year, the district was already navigating COVID-19 cases. A notice on the district’s website this week said a student on a sports team had tested positive. Fall sports training begins before the school’s official opening day.

The district said the student who tested positive is required to self-quarantine, according to county health department guidelines, and anyone identified as a close contact of that person has been notified.

ROS

When asked if this was an exciting time of year for him, Shoreham-Wading River Superintendent Gerard Poole recalled that when he was a third grade teacher he had to trouble sleeping the week before the start of the school year.

“It is absolutely an exciting time of year to welcome our children again,” he said. “It’s exciting. It’s one of the best times of the year.

Mr Poole still has plenty to be excited about, with schools in his district opening their doors to students for the start of a new school year today.

Thanks in part to Uncle Sam, Shoreham-Wading River reopens with new programs, facility upgrades, additional support and other improvements.

Among the changes Mr. Poole announced are the district’s first universal pre-K program, a high school success center, a wrestling center, a pilot high school mentorship program, an additional psychologist for mental health and the behavioral support and a new high school club affiliated with Future Farmers of America.

“Some of these projects are certainly helped by federal funds,” he said, noting that three federal funding sources totaling about $ 2.4 million have helped. He added: “It was welcome funding at a time when the kids need a little more, isn’t it?”

The many changes are a sign that after one of the craziest and hardest to remember school years due to the coronavirus pandemic, schools are adjusting and moving forward.

When the district found out it had enough money, it partnered with the Shoreham Church of Saint Anselm in Canterbury for a universal pre-K program. The state funded 32 students, who were selected by a live lottery, Mr Poole said.

An upstairs high school library loft is being converted into a college-style academic success center. Mr Poole said the area will be staffed with teachers to offer extra help during each school day.

“We certainly have other field trips planned,” added Mr. Poole. “We feel like our students have really missed these over the past year and a half, and we want to catch up on some of those experiences.”

Mr Poole also noted that a number of renovations were carried out over the summer: the high school track has been redone, the tennis courts have been repainted, work has been done on the facade front of the Wading River School, the stage floors were repainted, the high school music and orchestra rooms and the college gymnasium were repainted, and a former fitness center / warehouse of maintenance has been converted to ‘what I say is the best wrestling center in Suffolk County. It is absolutely fantastic.

“These are our motives, aren’t they?” Said Mr. Poole. “We can’t just think about COVID and contact tracing and all that. There are other things. When the kids are engaged, everyone here is engaged.