Current in Education
York's second grade to be reunited
By Jennifer L. Saunders
York Village Elementary School second-grader Matthew Walter tries his hand at the obstacle course during the Second-Grade Field Day, held on Wednesday, June 14, at the school. The students in each classroom tie-dyed T-shirts for the event so that their classes could be identified by a specific color. The event was one of many held over the course of the year to unite the town's second-grade class, which is split between Village and Coastal Ridge Elementary Schools. Plans are currently full speed ahead to unite next year's second-grade class at Village, with renovations slated to begin when school ends.
Photo by Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK VILLAGE - In 2002, a massive cut to the York School Department's operating budget necessitated a move that had been discussed for years: the reconfiguration of grades at Coastal Ridge and Village Elementary Schools.
Previously, both schools housed students in grades K through 4. But, after the cuts, Village became K through 2 and Coastal, 2 through 4. Because that decision had to be made to address staff losses, it also meant that the town's second-grade students would be split between the two schools: with five classes at Village and three at Coastal Ridge.
Four years later, plans are on the move to once again reunite the second grade at Village Elementary School beginning this fall.
With the approval of May's budget requests, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Scipione confirmed that efforts are underway to renovate portions of Village Elementary so that all regular education classrooms, including the additional second-grade rooms, will be housed in the building. At the same time, the school's portable classrooms have been removed to make way for a new, smaller one that will house special pullout classes and lessons currently housed in classrooms within the school.
The School Committee heard the update on the plan at its meeting on June 7, and again reached the consensus that this is the right move for local students.
A plan to consolidate classes at Village last year did not move forward due to parent concerns, at that time, about having two regular-education classrooms housed in the portable unit and how to manage students accessing the school for bathrooms, lunch and such classes as music, art and physical education.
The new plan addresses that, Scipione noted.
"We'll have all students in regular education classes in the building," he told the School Committee during his report on the grade consolidation.
The new mobile classroom unit will be placed beside the building for instructional use for tutorial, remedial or enrichment instruction, Scipione explained, and students will only leave and return to the building when accompanied by an adult.
The old classroom unit was removed last week, with the renovations to existing spaces set to begin when school ends on Friday, June 23.
"We're making preparations now to complete the move of the three classes that are at CRES to be moved into Village," Scipione said. "We're excited that this is going to happen, and at this point it looks like all systems are in place."
School Committee Vice Chairwoman Marilyn Zotos asked whether communication systems will be in place to contact those working in the mobile unit with announcements from the school's office, and Scipione confirmed the new portable classroom would use the same system that is in place for each one housed within the school.
Just days after the announcement of the plan, this year's second-graders class spent their "Field Day" together last week, with the three classes of students from Coastal traveling by bus to Village to take part in such events as obstacle courses, musical chairs and races with their peers.
Both CRES Principal Jane Stephenson and VES Principal Ruth Dealy have spoken in support of keeping the class of students together during the review of the consolidation, and have worked to arrange opportunities such as Field Day with the teachers where this year's second-grade class could come together for special events at each school.
