Students return to school today with new opportunities

Aug. 31—Bells are ringing, buses are on the roads and excitement is in the air: School is back in session.

For PENNCREST School District Superintendent Timothy Glasspool, it's the best time of the year.

"Everyone gets a new/fresh start," he said in an email. The best advice for students and parents as they enter what Glasspool expects to be an "awesome" year?

"Stay positive and embrace the new opportunities," he said.

PENNCREST, Conneaut and Crawford Central school districts welcome about 7,500 students back to school today for a year that educators in all three districts hope will be an even-closer return to normal.

Though many are eager for a fresh start that turns the page completely on the pandemic, concerns remain, as Crawford Central Superintendent Tom Washington noted in offering a reminder.

"Parents should be aware that if a student tests positive for COVID-19," he said, "they are required to isolate for five days and, if symptom-free, can return on the sixth day, but must wear a mask until day 10."

Even with such remaining concerns, teachers such as Kristen Deets, who heads the cosmetology program at Crawford Tech, expressed a sense of both excitement and relief to be back in a "closer to normal" classroom. From day one, Deets said, she'll be stressing the importance of seeing students' smiling faces in class as close to every day as possible.

Attendance has been an issue since March 2020, whether the challenge has been getting students to log on consistently from home or keeping them in school after the return to in-person instruction.

"Attendance is very important. If you're not in school every day, you're not going to be getting what you need to be getting out of a program," Deets said.

Some learning simply doesn't transmit through a computer screen, according to Deets. "We can't teach students as well that aren't actually in front of us," she said.

Looking ahead to being back in the classroom can sometimes be stressful for students who've grown used to summer vacation. For students who have lived, and tried to learn, through the past two school years, there's a chance that COVID-19-related concerns and challenges add additional stress to the butterflies that are typical the morning of the first day.

"The most stressful part is usually the first day or two until all the transitions and new routines are in place," Crawford Central's Washington said.

At Crawford Tech, which has rebranded with a new name and logo, the new routines will include students exploring two new programs — HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) technology and veterinary technology. Assistant Director Mike Costa's advice for the sophomores, juniors and seniors attending Tech from the three local districts drew inspiration from the real world.

"Let's model what our industry partners are looking for in professional employees," he said. "People who are attentive, ready to learn, respectful, with regular attendance, and who are responsible."

At the other end of the student spectrum, Adam Jardina, principal of Conneaut Valley Elementary School, said that the annual reminders about school policies and procedures are always critical. But given the past two years and the hopes for this year, he said, another message is even more important.

"What I truly want parents to know is that they are sending their child(ren) to a school that is full of passionate educators who love their job and love working with children," Jardina said in an email. "With all of the pandemic-related issues and political divisiveness over the past few years, I think that it is imperative that we (the schools) remind the community, through words and action, the great things that are happening throughout our district."

Great things are happening in PENNCREST as well, according to Glasspool, who was eager to list a few of the improvements and upgrades already accomplished and still proceeding — such as $11.2 million renovation projects at Saegertown Elementary School and Saegertown Junior-Senior High School, where work will address elements such as lighting, boilers, HVAC components, windows, exterior doors, flooring and asbestos removal.

PENNCREST also has added new computer labs, with 25 iMacs in each of the elementary schools and 30 in each of the high schools, plus more than 150 PCs spread across the high schools.

However, technology isn't the only answer as the district seeks to move past the pandemic.

Two school resource officers will be added to the PENNCREST staff in January, and like other districts, PENNCREST also is addressing the mental health concerns that have come to the forefront in recent years.

With enough intervention specialists for each school, plus counselors, student assistance teams, three school psychologists, a district-wide mental health coordinator, trauma therapists in each of the high schools and more, the district has tried to create an environment in which students can "stay positive and embrace the new opportunities" as they start the school year, according to Glasspool.

Crawford Central's Washington, too, expressed the sort of glass-completely-full type of optimism that seemed to be typical of school officials looking ahead to the new school year.

"It is going to be a great year!" he said in an email. "Why? Because we expect it to be. Where the focus goes the power flows!"

Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .