The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en Volume 13, Number 35
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Back to School edition; Classes begin August 31
Teachers will greet students next week By Olivia L. Lawrence Associate Editor Aug. 31, bright and early on a Monday morning, the Berlin school district will be ready and waiting with a big “welcome back” for students. The past days have been hectic with staff orientations, professional development and final preparations to welcome the district’s more than 3,300 eager minds. Below is information on each of the district’s five schools as well as comments from top administrators on what parents and students can expect as the 2009-2010 school year gets underway. For more information go to www.berlinschools.org. Berlin High School, 139 Patterson Way, (860) 828-6577, Principal George Synnott. Built in 1953, with addition/renovations made in 1959 and 1974, the building is 250,000 square feet of space on a 26-acre site. BHS houses approximately 1,100 students in grades nine through 12. “Nothing major has
changed — there have been a few tweaks in the student handbook,” Principal George Synnott said. “A new schedule went into effect last year and we’ll be following the same schedule this year.” Synnott said there was some turnover in teaching staff due to retirement. Interviews for replacements began in May and all positions had since been filled except for one social studies teacher. Interviews for that job were taking place last week. Newly hired are: two English teachers, a math teacher, a social studies teacher and a Spanish teacher. Over the summer, all students were required to read one book from a list of seven books that followed the theme of “similarities and differences.” Synnott said a day will be set aside for students to answer “some essential questions” in regards to the books they read. A “reading See Schools, page 6
Bus Routes pages 17-26
Citizen photo by Olivia L. Lawrence
Christine Sliney a third-grade teacher at Willard Elementary School prepares a bulletin board that features pictures of her grandaughter. The bulletin board ties into an exercise her new students completed over the summer.
NBT buses are ready to roll By Olivia L. Lawrence Associate Editor Peter A. Agostini, president of the New Britain Transportation Company, says his crew and company are an active part of the Berlin community — and well-trained professionals who care about kids. “It’s a very rewarding job,” Agostini said during an interview at the NBT facility at 257 Woodlawn Road. With the first day of school fast approaching, Agostini wanted parents to know drivers are well-coached on how to make the early days pleasant for everyone involved. In Berlin, 55 drivers are assigned to routes that potentially can deliver more than 3,000 students to their schools. “I tell them to remember when they put their kids on the bus for the first time — and to talk to parents and with the children and make them feel comfortable,” Agostini said.
“It’s a classroom on board — they are teachers of safety.” The schools are aware that the first few days there may be delays on certain routes, he said. Especially with the little ones, as parents and grandparents want to take pictures of sending kindergartners off to school for the first time. “It’s hilarious, they get on the bus and everyone says good-bye and they take pictures,” Agostini said. “We allow that to happen.” While bus drivers try not to linger too long, a 40 minute route can stretch to an hour or more the first few days. He asks parents to bear with NBT as everyone involved gets with the schedule and the long good-byes are over. “Please be patient with the timing.” “All problems — we will fix them as fast as
See Buses, page 3