Officials enthusiastic about new school year

BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer

JAMESBURG –– Thanks to two grants, the borough will begin the year with two new school programs in place.

One program, partially funded by the state Department of Transportation, is called Safe Route to School, and will examine the walking routes that students use to get to and from school, Superintendent of Schools Shirley Bzdewka said.

“We’re trying to make sure that the routes that they take are safe, and that they’re not taking shortcuts across the railroad tracks,” Bzdewka said. “They should be going down to where there are crossing guards, because that’s where we’ve predetermined that it’s the safest place for them to cross.”

Bzdewka said district officials plan to meet with parents and members of the community to evaluate the traffic patterns in town, since new businesses have altered the traffic landscape of the borough.

“Since we’re a walking district, that’s really important,” Bzdewka said.

She said the district was one of only three to receive the grant, and the program will make the district eligible for future grants as well.

Bzdewka said the district also received a grant for a program called Snapshot, which will help administrators better track student performance. The program will allow school officials to compare a student’s progress over time, while the state currently compares entire grades.

“The state does apples and oranges,” Bzdewka said. “When you compare fourth-grade test scores last year with fourth-grade test scores this year, they’re different kids; so, you’re really not getting a clear picture of what’s happening. This will allow us to actually look at individual children and chart their progress over time in our district to see how we’re doing overall.”

The district has also hired a librarian, a position that was cut from the budget three years ago, as well as a support instructor.

The support instructor, Bzdewka said, will help the students adjust to a new math curriculum, assist them in developing writing skills, and teach kids strategies to use while reading various types of literature.

“We knew that we needed to do something for early intervention for our students so that they could be more successful,” Bzdewka said, adding that administrators have been committed to the implementation of such programs.

Though the district has struggled with funding for the sports and after-school programs, Bzdewka said the programs — in their entirety — have been fully budgeted for this year.

She added that not only will the district have more programs to offer students, but it will have more students as well.

Middle school enrollment has gone up by seven students in the past two weeks alone, she said, which is a significant number for a school with an overall enrollment of 200 children.

“I’m looking forward to a very positive school year, where we implement lots of exciting new options for our students,” Bzdewka said.