Superintendent Outlines What's New at School
Today is the first day of classes for many students and a chance for the schools to present changes and additions to their curriculums, cafeterias and after-school programs.
Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi at a recent School Committee meeting.
Photos (1)
Photos
Students at Somerville Public Schools will soon discover that they’re reading more science, speaking more foreign languages and eating more salads this school year, said Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi.
The district’s leadership, principals and teachers have over the summer planned several changes to the way they educate and feed their students. In addition, the city has renovated and added facilities to some of the schools.
Science in English class; Japanese after school
One of the major changes to the curriculum this year will be the introduction of science texts into English classes, said Pierantozzi. Further, teachers will try to balance the amount of fiction and non-fiction that students read to achieve “balanced literacy.” They should have plenty of literature to choose from, since each classroom will have its own library.
Meanwhile, the district will offer foreign language classes afterschool at the elementary schools. There will be French at the West Somerville Neighborhood School, the Kennedy School and the East Somerville Community School, at the Cummings building; Spanish at the Argenziano School; Japanese at the Healy School. The goal, the superintendent said, is to have two foreign language clubs happening during each 10-week session at every elementary school.
More salad bars; counting meals served over the summer
The district will present salad bars to the high school and the Argenziano School soon after the start of the school year, following the donation of a salad bar to the Winter Hill Community School in April.
Over the summer, the schools provided free breakfast and lunch for children at several parks around the city. Pierantozzi said at a recent School Committee meeting that Jeanne Irwin, the district’s director of food service, would tally the number of meals served.
In the meantime, parents that earn less than the federal poverty line may sign up their children for free breakfasts, lunches and snacks. The cost of lunch at school cafeterias will increase $0.25 this year, to $2.50.
Renovated buildings, spruced up grounds
Pierantozzi said that over the summer, the city has been cleaning and renovating some of the older school buildings, as well as grooming their grounds.
For instance, the high school auditorium has a new stage, featuring a polished wooden floor and a wall of red brick and stone.
“A lot of effort has been made to improve our buildings to make them positive learning environments for students and positive working environments for staff,” he said.
