Back-to-school: New school year brings changes

Students and parents at some area schools will encounter changes when the 2022-23 school year begins.

Classes for many Monroe County schools begin Sept. 6, but some schools, including St. Joseph in Erie and Monroe Catholic Elementary Schools, are already in session.

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One of the biggest changes for students is coming to Monroe Public Schools’ Waterloo Elementary. After eight years, Waterloo students will no longer be required to wear uniforms.

Since 2014, boys have worn khaki or navy pants and shorts, and girls have worn pants, shorts and skirts in the same colors. According to Monroe News archives, uniforms were adopted eight years ago along with a new STEAM curriculum.

“For the past two years, the USDA has offered waivers to Child Nutrition Programs across the U.S., allowing these programs to offer all students breakfast and lunch at no cost. Unfortunately, these waivers have expired,” Ida Public Schools said. “Starting this school year, Child Nutrition Programs across the nation will return to normal, pre-pandemic operations.”

Waterloo sixth-grader Jameson Schmitt circulated a petition to abolish the uniform policy. He spoke before the school board, and his proposal was approved.

Some school districts, including Ida and Bedford, will see an end to free meals this year. Because of the pandemic, schools were able to offer free meals, but that benefit has ended.

Families can still apply for the Free and Reduced Price meal program.

Airport Community Schools’ Wagar Middle School has added a new position this year. The school will now have a liaison officer. Mike Depew was hired to fill the role.

Monroe Public Schools and Bedford Public Schools are debuting new turf on their football fields this year, while St. Joseph Catholic School in Erie has added Latin to the curriculum. St. Patrick School in Carleton is now one of the country’s 650 Classical Schools.

“Quite simply, a Classical School aims to teach a child ‘how to think,’ and ‘what to do,’” Carl Lenze, principal, said. “The idea is to teach students how to think so that they will think truly and act rightly, which was the goal of the Romans and the Greeks. It was the education of the Christian Middle Ages, of the American Founding Fathers and of their Catholic and Puritan predecessors. It was the prevailing education into the 20th-century before it was gradually thrown out over a period of about 40 years.”

Here’s a summary of some of the changes in store at other area schools.

Bedford Public Schools

Shelly Farris is the new food service director.

In addition to the new synthetic turf field, a new lighting system was installed at Bedford Community Stadium.

A new spiral slide was built at Jackman Road Elementary, and Bedford Junior High School got new elevator mechanisms. Hallways were repainted at the high school, and new ceiling tiles were installed.

About $193,000 in new equipment was installed for the CTE Department. Equipment and will be used in the Machine Tool, Automotive, TV/Radio and Cybersecurity/Networking programs.

Busses have new cameras.

“There will be an exterior camera to assist with enforcement of the laws requiring drivers to stop for buses with their flashing red lights on,” the district said. “There is no road configuration in Bedford Township where a driver would not need to stop once a bus activates the red flashing lights. This includes busy roads like Lewis, Sterns and Secor.”

Busses also will have interior cameras to help resolve disciplinary issues.

Airport Community Schools

The district will have two new administrators this year. Matthew Furtney is the new principal at Niedermeier Elementary School. He is the former Airport High School assistant principal and has been with the district for more than 10 years. Jeffrey Oesch will succeed Furtney as assistant principal at the high school. Oesch is a former high school social studies teacher and has been with the district for three years.

New staff members include: Hollis LaBeau-Hodges, elementary social worker; Emily Adams, middle school social studies teacher; Lauren Alarie, high school physical education and health teacher; Amber Brennan, fourth-grade teacher at Eyler; Kristin Burnett, fourth-grade teacher at Niedermeier; Alisia Chmielewski, elementary music teacher; Rodney Fater, middle school social studies teacher; Kayla Feldt, kindergarten teacher at Sterling; Rachel Kowalczik, middle school social studies teacher; Madison Mannix, kindergarten teacher at Niedermeier; Sara McVey, first-grade teacher at Ritter; Chelsea Raisanen, middle school English/language arts teacher; Kimberly Rocholl, special education teacher at Wagar; Hannah Slane, second-grade teacher at Eyler, and Joshua Webb, high school science.

Several other staff members moved to new positions.

Many improvements were made to district buildings, including gym floor repairs at Niedermeier Elementary and a new gym floor at Wagar Middle School. Several schools got new exterior LED lighting.

All buildings will have new English/Language Arts curriculums. Wagar Middle School will move from an eight-period schedule to a six-period schedule to mirror that of the high school. Fifth-graders will have a “team” schedule to prepare them for middle school.

Summerfield Schools

New staff include: Camryn Klocinski, junior/senior high school principal; Kayla Keller, elementary teacher, and Teresa Lewis, high school math teacher.

Several new courses debut this year, including AP Biology, Literature Through Film, History of American Warfare and Group Fitness. Also new are robotics at the middle and high schools, a Community Care Closet and LEAP (Leadership, Empowering and Advocating for Peers).

Projects completed over the summer include painting and the installation of security cameras. New stage curtains and a public address system were installed.

Gibraltar School District

Several new staff members were hired, including Adrianna Roberts, Chapman principal; Kelly Michael, special education supervisor; Maegen Laub, social worker; Brooke Madgwick, high school science teacher; Jill Balogh, high school math teacher; Mitchell Karczewsk, middle school computer technology teacher; Jessica Ohneck, Chapman kindergarten teacher, and Jason Patterson, high school construction trades teacher.

A STEM-focused middle college program will debut and is open to high school juniors.

Building improvement include lighting upgrades and roofing projects at the middle and high schools. Paving, painting and playground projects were completed at several buildings.

St. Mary Catholic Central High School

Three new staff members were hired: Natalie Metzger, dean of students; Jared Janssen, director of athletics and campus operations, and Dr. Carl Parran, theology teacher.

St. Joseph School, Erie

Megan Lavin will teach second-grade this year. Brittany Fowler will teach physical education. Jackson Reeves will teach the new special course, Latin.

The school also installed a new HVAC system.

Monroe Catholic Elementary Schools

A new curriculum, Friendzy SEL, is debuting at the middle school.

School walls have been painted at the St. Mary campus.

New staff include: Natalie Metzger, dean of students; Riley Woolford, social studies teacher; Maryah Fox, science teacher; Scot Peterson, third-grade teacher, and Whitney Kuchna, office assistant.

Holy Ghost Lutheran School

Two new staff members will start this year: Ashley Morse, kindergarten teacher and ECC Director, and Tammy Castiglione, special education ministry teacher.

Building upgrades include a new roof, new desks and chairs and additional lockers.

Meadow Montessori

Several new outdoor structures and vegetable and flower gardens were added.

Two teachers are new: Lourdes Braunlich, teacher for Children’s House North, and Margaret Roehrig, a teacher in Upper Elementary East. Two more adults will begin Montessori training this year: Naomi Vaive in the infant/toddler program and Jaclyn Childers at the preschool level.

Luowei Liao will teach Chinese and will introduce Japanese as an elective for secondary students.

Zion Lutheran School

The Abeka Language Arts curriculum and the TCI Social Studies program are new for students in kindergarten through Grade 4.

St. Charles Academy

This year, each child will have a Chromebook or iPad, depending on grade. Upgrades were made to the early childhood restrooms.

St. Patrick School, Carleton

Robert Lothian is a new staff member this year.

Building improvements include a new roof and new swing set.

New Bedford Academy

A counselor has been added to the staff.

“The counselor will meet with any student who might need to speak with someone,” the school said. “They'll also assist with social interactions, anger management, conflict resolution and other situations that might distract our children from the fun and excitement of learning.”

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Back-to-school: New school year brings changes