School Reconfiguration Takes Shape on First Day of School

While many school districts had to delay their first day of school due to Tropical Storm Irene's fury, Windsor opened Tuesday right on track. Despite families losing power over the weekend due to Hurricane Irene, 3,700 students arrived at Windsor's schools looking forward to a new year of friends and learning.

Clover Street Elementary School Principal Michelle Jones began the year by meeting with the students in the auditorium, introducing herself and other staff.  Jones reviewed Clover Street's motto through the acronym C.A.R.E.S (Citizens Accept differences, Respect themselves and others, Excellence, and Self-responsibility) to an excited crowd of kids and encouraged them to take ownership of their school as well as their education.

Clover Street School has changed this year in preparation for the reorganization Windsor will be launching next year.  This year the school sent their first grade class over to Oliver Ellsworth in response to concerns parents had about their children having to make too many transitions post-reorganization. 

Two Windsor schools will serve Kindergarten tthrough second grade and two will serve third to fifth grade. The reorganization plan was decided upon due to the fact that enrollment in town is declining, and the district must get the most out of its resources. Roger Wolcott Early Childhood Center celebrated their last opening day; as part of the reorganization plan, the school will be closed.

Ronda Lezburg, Principal at Roger Wolcott, admits that while it may have been on the minds of the adults a little, this year's brand new kindergartners were not thinking about Wolcott closing in 2012.  "Certainly we thought about it, but our students - its their first day of kindergarten," she said. "Since we're so focused on the students... it just didn't play into things," added Lezburg.

Lezburg also said that Wolcott is planning an alumni event to celebrate what the school has offered students for so many years. 

But for now, her focus is on the 194 Kindergarteners walking up the ramp every morning and afternoon.  "If they save the best for last - we had an excellent first day," said Lezburg.