Melville Elementary School Principal Says She Sees Progress As School Year Ends

Principal Dr. Joanne Olson believes it has been a great, although fast, school year. “It’s been a very fast year," she said.

Olson has been at the helm of Melville Elementary School for 15 years. Prior to that, she was a principal in the Coventry school system for eight years after moving to Rhode Island from Florida.

According to Olson, the average student population at Melville Elementary School is 360 with a Navy population at 10 to 15 percent. There are 32 educators on board.

She pointed out Melville school has very young students with it being the only school in Portsmouth with pre-kindergarten classrooms.

“We start at 3-years-old and finish up at third grade,” she said.

As for the closing and merger of , Olson said the transition of students couldn’t have been better.

“It was seamless and smooth,” she said. “We needed to build relationships and trust. Once the parents knew the kids were fine and happy, they became very comfortable too. Half of our faculty was new to Melville, also. It’s was just an adjustment to a new place.

“As for our staff, I’m very proud of them. They have done a lot of training and made wonderful progress this year."