New Construction, New Teachers at GHS

Gaithersburg High School today compled its first week of class after a summer that was anything but quiet.

While students splashed in the pool, worked summer jobs or conquered digital worlds on their PS3s, the high school was undergoing the first phase of a $ process.

Principal Dr. Christine Handy-Collins and Business Manager CJ Overly sat down with Patch to talk about how the first week went.

"There hasn't been a single noise complaint," Overly said of the , which is scheduled to be done by the summer or early fall of 2014.

The first phase of the work had a deadline of the beginning of school, and that deadline was met, he added.

The work means several significant chances for students, as well.

While construction is happening, there is no student parking on campus, and students now have to stay on school property during lunch.

"We're adjusting," Handy-Collins said. "It's a change."

But she said underclassman practiced the new lunch routine at the end of last year to make the transition smoother. And it worked.

The biggest challenge was getting everyone onto campus in the morning, she said.

School started on time, but there were a few stragglers who got to class late on the first few days, she said.

Overly said the plan that was put down on paper—like any plan—had to be modified once it went into action on Monday, and each successive day.

Handy-Collins said a daily debriefing among staff to talk about what worked and didn't work helped make the changes happen quickly and smoothly.

In addition to the new traffic pattern, the school also welcomed 29 new teachers, staff and para-educators.

• Sonja Banks, Bridge/Special Education
• Ashley Benson, Spanish
• Latisha Blue, School psychologist
• Jacqueline Castellanos, secretary
• Florence Chukwurah, Foundations of Technology
• Patsy Crisamore, Food Service Manager
• Brenda Evans, Food Service
• Joshua Fernandez, Special Education
• Krystal Greenwood, Secretary
• Sue Greer, Para-educator
• Daniel Harp, Para-educator
• Rob Harper, Media specialist
• Antoine Holmes, Academic Int.
• Aneece Kellner, Para-educator
• Maize Lynch, Science
• Daniel Miller, Math/CTE
• Brett Morales, English
• Ivette Moss, Counselor
• Toby Salahuddin, Math
• Alixandra Sebrechts, Science
• Jennifer Solove, Special Education
• Simithia Stewart, Para-educator
• Jaclyn Sweeney, Special Education
• Michael Szabo, Science
• Maria Teehan, Math
• Kevin Tehaan, Physical Education/Health
• Trudiann Thompson, Para-educator
• Rosa Warsaw, Secretary
• Sally Wilcox, Pupil Personnel Worker