Old Saybrook schools will begin the 2019–’20 academic year with a half day on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Until then, the most visible change for the year might be the district’s new website, which was launched on July 1.

“Our public relations committee, made up of students, parents, Board of Education (BOE) members, staff members, and others, advised us about improvements they wanted to see, such as a more visible search bar, a quick links menu, and a section for featured videos,” said Superintendent of Schools Jan Perruccio in her welcome back video.

The site may be viewed at www.oldsaybrookschools.org.

Fourth Grade Moves to Goodwin

Parents of rising 4th graders are well aware of aware of an even more significant change: the 4th grade will remain at Kathleen E. Goodwin Elementary School and Old Saybrook Middle School (OSMS) will now serve grades 5 through 8.

After a presentation by the BOE’s Ad-Hoc Demographics Subcommittee at the BOE meeting in February, the change was approved at the March BOE meeting by a vote of six to one.

OSMS had a rare configuration of grades 4 through 8—so rare, in fact, that according to research compiled in 2018 by MCH Strategic Data, that configuration doesn’t exist in the United States at all—or at least not in large enough numbers to appear in the company’s data.

Parents had expressed concerns for years to Perruccio about the age span at OSMS of 9- and 10-year-olds to 13- and 14-year-olds, and Perruccio’s research led her to the conclusion that the wide range of student ages at that stage of childhood development was not ideal.

Pending the BOE’s decision, staff at Goodwin and OSMS began making changes to make the transition easier, and this summer, equipment like smart boards and computers that were used in 4th-grade classrooms have been installed at the elementary school.

New Hires

Old Saybrook High School (OSHS) has a new math teacher, Melissa Barnes.

At OSMS, Nicholas Sagnella has been hired as technology education teacher, Shannon Chapman as art teacher, Kate Cross in world languages, and Jason Deeble in math.

At the district level, Stacie Anderson, a former Goodwin teacher, has been hired as district math coach.

“We have three positions that are still to be filled, but we’re in the final stages of interviewing,” Perruccio said in her video. “Those include two world language positions at Goodwin Elementary, and a district position for social worker who will work in all three buildings.”

Facilities

At OSHS, a new oil tank was installed underground in back of the building, replacing a 30-year-old tank. New, more visible score boards have been erected on the baseball, softball, and turf playing fields. Bathrooms have been renovated and the “side lot is undergoing improvements,” said Perruccio.

The front parking lot was paved, lined, and striped, and new signs direct traffic differently than before, with separate lanes for buses, students who park at school, and drivers who drop off students. The aim of these changes is to reduce congestion at the beginning and end of the school day.

In addition, “[t]here’s now a third set of stairs so students can climb the hill from multiple points in the lot,” Perruccio said.

At OSMS, returning students will notice new carpeting, cabinets, and countertops in some classrooms, and some rooms have new furniture.

Guiding Statement

The 2019–2020 school year is the fourth year of the district’s five-year plan; teaching will be guided by the statement “If Old Saybrook Public Schools’ educators challenge students to advance their learning, then Old Saybrook public school graduates will know themselves, welcome new challenges, and apply what they’ve learned.”

First Day Schedule

Schedules for the half day on Wednesday, Aug. 28 are as follows:

Goodwin: 8:50 a.m. to 12:30 pm

OSMS: 8:05 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.

OSHS: 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Upcoming Important Dates

Goodwin

Aug. 27: Classroom visits for new and returning students (ECP/K: 9:30–10:30 a.m.; Grades 1–4: 11 a.m. to noon)

Sept. 5: PTA meet and greet (7 to 8 p.m.)

Sept. 26: Open House (5 to 6 p.m.)

OSMS

Aug. 22: New student orientation (1 to 2 p.m.)

Aug 27: Parent classroom visits (noon to 1 p.m.)

Sept. 5: Open House (inquire about hours)

Sept. 9: Picture day

Sept. 23: First PTO meeting (7 to 8 p.m.)

OSHS

Aug. 23: Freshman and new student orientation (8 a.m. to noon)

Aug. 26: PTO meet and greet (7 to 8 p.m.)

Aug. 29 and 30: Freshman retreat at Camp Hazen

Sept. 4: Fall Sports Information Night (6:30 to 7:30 p.m.)

Sept. 9: Ram Boosters meeting (7 to 8 p.m.)

Sept. 10: Picture day (all day); Senior College Planning Night (6:30 to 8 p.m.)

Sept. 12: Open House (7 to 8:30 p.m.)

All Schools

Sept. 2: Labor Day–Schools are closed

Perruccio’s welcome back video may be viewed on the district’s home page at www.oldsaybrookschools.org.