MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
ASM
P.24
Middle School Director Mike Nugent
The 2020-2021 school year was indeed one that we will never forget. We started the school year with a great deal of hesitation while wearing masks, marking our distance from one another, ventilating the buildings, and applying disinfectant lotion to our hands. Our main priority was the safety of our students and staff. Simple things suddenly became great challenges. Students wore their backpacks instead of visiting their lockers between classes. Recess time without soccer and basketball balls created challenges for students to become creative in their playtime activities. Assigned cafeteria seats and distancing were the new reality. Despite these challenges, “Keep Calm and Learn” became our school manifesto. We should all be proud of the challenges that we overcame during this time. A highlight of the 20-21 school year was the opening of the new Middle School. The building was scheduled to open in September 2020, but Covid and the Filomena snowstorm slowed the works. Excitement about the opening of the new building grew during the spring months. Teachers and staff began the laborious process of moving classroom materials to the new facility during the free hours and on weekends. Planning for the opening of the new building took on greater urgency in April, and the Middle School staff created a series of activities designed to help the students learn how to use the new building. Opening day on April 30 was filled with excitement — music, balloons, and a special welcome activity in the new Middle School Commons. It was like the first day of school in many respects!
