Sept. 6 set as opening day for students in Jackson
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON - It's time to say goodbye to those lazy, crazy days of summer and time to look ahead to the beginning of the new school year, just days away.

The Jackson School District will open its doors on Sept. 6 for more than 9,800 students.

Jackson Liberty High School will have three grades this year (9, 10 and 11) as the district continues to fill the new building and the athletic department will field a full array of varsity teams.

School hours will be from 7:15 a.m. to 1:38 p.m. at Jackson Memorial and Jackson Liberty high schools, and from 8:05 a.m. to 2:27 p.m. at the Goetz and McAuliffe middle schools.

Students at the Crawford-Rodriguez and Holman elementary schools will attend

school from 8:45 a.m. to 2:55

p.m.

Students at the Elms and Switlik elementary

schools will attend school from 9:05 a.m. to

3:15 p.m.

Students at the Johnson

and Rosenauer elementary

schools will attend school from 9:25 to 3:35 p.m.

"The Jackson School District continues to grow and improve in the face of many challenges presented by the current funding issues," Superintendent

• Johnson grades Pre-K, K, 1, 2 and of Schools Thomas Gialanella said.

special education and Rosenauer grades "Despite these challenges, we continue

K, 1, 2 and special education will be to review, update and improve the educational

held at 7 p.m. Sept. 19. materials and curriculum for

• Goetz Middle School grade 6 and our students.

McAuliffe Middle School grade 6 will be

"This year our students will begin

held at 7 p.m. Sept. 20. the school year with new materials and

• Johnson and Rosenauer grades 3, books in the areas of literacy, world language

4, 5 and special education will be held and art," Gialanella said.

at 7 p.m. Sept. 24.

He said the school district has continued

• Goetz and McAuliffe grades 7 and its commitment to maintain and

8 will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 25. upgrade the school buildings.

• Jackson Memorial High School all

"Students, parents and staff will

grades will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 26. find many changes and renovations

• Jackson Liberty High School when they return to school in September,"

grades 9,10 and 11 will be held on Sept. Gialanella said.

27.

Board of Education President Marvin

Krakower said in Jackson there is a special kind of joy and satisfaction in the start of a new school year.

"Whether one's responsibility is as an administrator, supervisor, teacher, lunch server, building maintainer, office manager or board member, it is a new beginning to improve upon the jobs that we do for the students of Jackson," Krakower said. "The Jackson School District strives with each new school year to improve and build upon the educational experience for our students."

Schools will open their doors with the following changes:

Theresa Licitra will be the new principal at the Holman School, replacing Jeanne Pollock who has become the director of special education.

Ronald Polakowski will be the new assistant principal at the Goetz Middle School, replacing Joseph Convery who has retired.

Geoffrey Brignola will become a new assistant principal at Jackson Liberty High School, replacing Robert Connor who has retired.

Lisa DiEugenio has become the new supervisor of literacy, replacing Joanne Coley who has moved to the McAuliffe Middle School as assistant principal.

A special education grant awarded to the district this year was implemented over the summer with staff training and will continue throughout the school year.

A renovation project has continued this summer at Jackson Memorial High School with renovations to bathrooms and science laboratories.

The Holman and Johnson elementary schools have had window replacements.

The computer department's server farm has been consolidated into one centralized location.

At the Rosenauer school an outside wall and fence have been replaced and the portable unit has been resurfaced.

The McAuliffe school roof has been replaced and sidewalks have been repaired or replaced at the Switlik school.

At Jackson Liberty High School a settlement agreement with a contractor has resulted in new sod on four athletic fields at no cost to the district, while renovations will continue on several other fields.

Back to School Night will be held as follows:

• Crawford-Rodriguez grades Pre- K, K and 1; Elms, Holman and Switlik grades K and 1 will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 10.

• Crawford-Rodriguez, Elms, Holman and Switlik grades 2 and 3 will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 11.

• Crawford-Rodriguez, Elms, Holman and Switlik grades 4 and 5 will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 17.