Published in the September 6, 2016 edition.
WAKEFIELD — It has to end sometime.
The summer of 2016 — the hot, extremely dry and browned-out summer of 2016 — comes to a close for the town’s public school students tomorrow as they get ready to hit their tablet and desktop computers for another 182 days of learning.
Summer camps are over and all the supplies and back-to-school clothes have been purchased. Now it’s time to get down to the fundamentals of getting a quality Wakefield school education.
In a letter Aug. 24, Supt. of Schools Dr. Kimberly J. Smith and Assistant Supt. of Schools Douglas Lyons review a few things for parents, like when school starts.
• Doyle Early Childhood Center: Full day programs run from 8:45 a.m. to 2:10 p.m.; half day programs from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and noon to 2:30 p.m. Lunch price is $2.75.
• Elementary schools: 8:40 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Lunch price $2.75.
• Galvin Middle School: 7:50 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Lunch price $3.
• Wakefield Memorial High School: 7:30 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. Lunch price $3.
“We launch the 2016-17 school year with new ELA curriculum in Grades 5-12, new math curriculum for Grades 7-8 and a continued focus on Literacy, Math and Writing instruction in Grades PreK-4,” the town’s top education officials write.
“We begin a yearlong plan to research and review new state Science, Technology and Engineering standards and curriculum. The IT staff has been busy installing additional classroom projectors and TV screens across the district to enhance digital learning experiences for our students. We have refreshed our fleet of student devices with new Chromebooks in Grade 5. It has been a productive summer of facilities projects, including the completion of interior and exterior painting projects, as well as ceiling, flooring and window replacements in our older buildings.
“Effective communication with families continues to be an important goal of the Wakefield Public Schools. Please access our district website … by visiting wakefieldpublicschools.org. Please call, e-mail or request an appointment with school or district administrators at any time. … We look forward to an exciting school year,” Smith and Lyons concluded.
