By SANDY McGEE

CUMBERLAND — It’s that time of year again, time to put away the beach gear and fill the backpacks. School starts Wednesday for most Cumberland students.

Elementary, middle and high school students should arrive for their first day of school on Wednesday. The first day for preschoolers will be Sept. 2 at the B.F. Norton Elementary School, a new site for the preschool program that was previously held at Our Lady of Fatima Church.
Students of Cumberland High School will begin their first day of school for the first time in four years without construction crews on campus. The CHS 2010 project has officially been completed, two years ahead of schedule.
“It’s a great relief,” said Superintendent of Schools Donna A. Morelle about the project’s completion. “It’s not only quieter, but coming to work is a little more enjoyable now.”
After four years of hammering, drilling and construction detours throughout the 46-year-old building, students will now be able to freely walk the halls and enjoy brand new classrooms.
Amongst the improvements, the campus now includes brand new science labs containing state-of-the art equipment, computers, a Science Wing, the Wellness Center, a brand new cafeteria, a new performance and art center, freshly painted lockers and much more.
A formal rededication of the high school will be held on Sept. 27 and 28. Members of the community are welcome to attend the project’s completion ceremony, which will include guided tours of new classrooms.
Students at elementary schools throughout the district will also see changes to their buildings this fall.
A new gymnasium has been completed at Ashton Elementary School. A new media center will also be unveiled at John J. McLaughlin Cumberland Hill Elementary School, while the school finishes the installation of its new gym floor in September.
A new roof at B.F. Norton Elementary School on Broad Street is also slated for completion before school starts next week.
Students will also see some new faces this fall, including Robert Draper who will serve as interim principal of the Community School on Arnold Mills Road. Bill Skitt, the school’s previous principal, has been hired to serve as principal at Central Elementary School in Lincoln.
“We hope to be interviewing very quickly for the new principal at the Community School,” Morelle said. “We thought he (Draper) would be a great fit for a short period of time.”
Richard Drolet will also take over as principal of North Cumberland Middle School, filing the role previously held by Thomas Kenworthy.
Kenworthy, who served as principal of North Cumberland Middle School for the past three years, has been selected for a three-year fellowship with the Rhode Island Department of Education. As a result of the appointment, Kenworthy will depart from his position as middle school principal this fall.
Drolet previously served as assistant principal for the middle school.
Frederik Schockaert, a native of Belgium, will also begin this fall as the district’s new deputy director of special education. Schockaert, a resident of Providence, holds state certification as a special education administrator, middle and high school principal and as a teacher for students with severe, profound disabilities.
Parents and teachers will also see changes this fall due to two new educational initiatives.
“Good things are happening in teaching and learning,” Morelle said. “We have a couple of really interesting initiatives happening this year.”
The first of two initiatives focuses on communication by continuing the district’s newsletter, entitled “Focus,” and the implementation of a new communication technology known as “ConnectEd.”
“We have been working very strongly on communication in the district,” Morelle said. “Communication will continue to be expanded by implementing a software technology called ‘ConnectEd,’ which provides emergency notification to families, as well as regular up-to-date information. We hope through this technology that we can improve relationships with families.”
With the technology, parents can receive real-time alerts and news from the school district through phone, text messaging or e-mail, depending on the contact information and chosen method of communication provided by the parent.
“The second initiative, which was the result of cooperation with the Town Council, was the purchase of a progress monitoring tool, ‘AIMSweb,’” said Morelle. “Teachers will use the software in a variety of areas to collect information about the knowledge that students have to better plan activities in the classroom. We hope this improves students learning.”
“AIMSweb” is a scientifically based, assessment system that provides continuous student performance data and reporting improvement to parents, teachers, and administrators. For more information about the software, visit www.aimsweb.com.
Class scheduling will also change this year for all middle school students, who will attend six classes each day instead of the previous seven. Class time will also increase for major academic areas, such as science, math, English and social studies.
“We are increasing time in the major academic areas,” Morelle said. “You can really integrate learning this way. It (the new class schedule) is a true middle school model, which will bring us in line with other middle schools throughout the state.”
The price for lunch will increase this year, which is due to the rise in food costs, according to school officials.
The new price for a hot lunch is $2 at the elementary schools; $2.25, middle schools; and $2.75 at the high school. The cost for breakfast is $1, while milk is 50 cents; reduced breakfast, 30 cents; and reduced lunch, 40 cents.