Region 15 Begins 2017-18 School Year: New Classes, Programs Added

Written by Jessica Clark, Region 15 Public Schools

SOUTHBURY/MIDDLEBURY, CT – Regional School District #15, serving Middlebury and Southbury, welcomed students to their first day of the 2017-18 school year on Tuesday, August 29th, 2017.

“On behalf of the Board of Education and our teachers and staff members, I welcome everyone to Pomperaug Regional School District for the 2017-18 school year. Every year the first days of school are electric with eager anticipation, from our youngest learners who are starting their educational journey through our Pomperaug High School seniors who are preparing for their futures beyond Region 15,” said Regina Lemerich Botsford, Superintendent of Region 15 schools.

Approximately 3,700 students from preschool through 12th grade walked through the doors of the seven schools in the district. They were greeted by teachers, staff, and administrators who have been eagerly preparing for their return.

“The start of the new school year always brings the promise of new hope, new challenges, and new learning. Educators, parents and students alike are given an opportunity to begin anew with renewed energy and enthusiasm for our common purpose: sparking, nurturing, and sustaining a love of learning in us all,” said Botsford.

As the new school year begins, 21st century learning skills will continue to be a district-wide focus, providing students with a more rigorous and relevant learning experience and a framework for which to prepare for an ever-changing future. These 21st century skills, defined as critical thinking, collaboration, communication, innovation, global citizenship and character, ensures that all students will graduate high school with the skills they need to be effective citizens and leaders in tomorrow’s global economy.

New for the 2017-18 school year will be:

• Implementing a new Middle School schedule and reinstating Middle School health classes. The new Middle School schedule provides some longer learning periods to allow students and teachers time to address Region 15’s 21st century skills in depth.
• Curriculum revisions in World Languages, Health, and Social Studies. Ongoing curriculum revision keeps programming current and relevant for today’s world and ensures that Region 15’s 21st century skills are addressed.
• New courses at Pomperaug High School: Advanced Placement Capstone, Human Rights, and Conversations on Race. These new courses allow us to provide additional options to be responsive to student interest, and to provide an education that prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of research and global citizenship that are required for tomorrow’s world.
• Continued work of the Enrollment and Space Utilization study committee to assess plans for facility use relative to effectiveness and efficiency. For an update on the work of this committee, visit the website (www.region15.org/esu).

In addition, Region 15 welcomes new administrators to the following positions:

• Mrs. Jennifer Murphy, Principal of Memorial Middle School
• Mrs. Heather Pellicone, Principal of Middlebury Elementary School
• Mrs. Heidi Syzmanski, Assistant Principal of Pomperaug High School
• Mr. Brian Jehning, Assistant Principal of Pomperaug High School
• Mrs. Emily Gervasio, Assistant Principal of Rochambeau Middle School
• Mr. Ronald Plasky, Director of Athletics, Health, and Physical Education
• Mr. Jeromy Nelson, Director of Fine, Applied, and Technical Arts
• Mr. Christopher Walsh, Math/Science Academic Chairperson at Pomperaug High School
• Mr. William Roland, Special Education Academic Chairperson at Pomperaug High School

Region 15 congratulates Mrs. LeAnn Cassidy, Social Studies teacher at Memorial Middle School, as Region 15’s 2017-18 Teacher of the Year. Cassidy is described as an inspiring and passionate educator, mentor, colleague and teacher. “LeAnn’s impact on children, adults, and families has been far reaching. She so ably and deservedly represents all of us at Region 15,” said Botsford.

Information about the school district, including upcoming events, can be found on the Region’s website, www.region15.org, on Facebook at Region 15 Schools, and twitter @Region15Schools.

Photo (Patty Hahn Kindergarten): Patty Hahn, a Kindergarten teacher at Long Meadow Elementary School in Middlebury, welcomes her new class of students on the first day of school. Region 15 students started the new school year on Tuesday, August 29th