This year’s summer break will come to a crashing halt for students, teachers, and other personnel as some 10,000 Bayonne students head back to classrooms across the city this week and next.
The 2015-16 school year will mean new classes, new programs, and in the case of Bayonne High School, new academies, where two more tracks of the Academy for Fine Arts & Academics will open.
The district’s 11 grammar schools and two parochial schools, Marist High School and All Saints Catholic Academy, the citywide Catholic grammar school, are also set to open.
Bayonne School District
Upgrades included the renovation of North and South Bayonne High School cafeterias, the addition of cameras in elementary schools for greater safety, and a new identification program, in which ID cards for students and staff can be made quickly and easily.
Bayonne High freshmen have orientation Sept. 2, but the first day of school for students is Sept. 9, in an abbreviated session (except for half-day prekindergarten, which has none), according to the Board of Education website, bboed.org .
There will be many new programs and initiatives throughout the district, according to Schools Superintendent Patricia McGeehan.
Grades 4 and 5 will have new materials.
“Students will now have access to electronic textbooks and an array of other high-quality materials that will both challenge and inspire them,” McGeehan said.
High school students in social studies classrooms will now have 1:1 access to Chromebooks. Last year grades 3 to 8 were given access to Chromebooks. This year, the Chromebook rollout will move to grade 2, and a pilot program for tablets will begin for students in kindergarten and first grade.
The success of the Academy of Fine Arts and Academics, which opened academies for the fine and performing arts in 2013 and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) last year, is going two steps further in the 2015-2016 school year.
The Academy for Professional Studies will offer learning opportunities in business, marketing, finance, technology, and design. And the Career Academy, which focuses on vocational skills such as carpentry, construction, and welding, will give students hands-on experience to pursue a career right after graduation.
Marist High School
Marist High School launched a major initiative this year.
“The big, big news is the start of an international program, with 15 students from China,” said Head of School Alice Miesnik. “This is for families in China who want their kids to have the U.S. experience in education.”
The students will live with guardians throughout Hudson County and the surrounding area. Marist students are also expected to benefit from interacting with Chinese students.
Miesnik is excited about several new administrators and coaches either joining or moving up in the Marist team, including Athletic Director Erica Buonacquista, Admissions Director Barbara Verdonck, and Chief Advancement Officer Tiffany McQueary.
“These new adults in the building will create a better educational experience for students,” Miesnik said. “This year it seems to be about new hires. I think these moves are establishing and solidifying the future.”
Technology will play an increased role at Marist. The school will unveil Kurzweil 3000, a computer program that allows students to become more critical readers and thinkers. The system assists students in organizing their thoughts, helping them outline, take notes, translate words, and write essays.
Freshmen began school on Sept. 1 and 2. Sophomores report on Wed. Sept. 9 and juniors on Thursday, Sept. 10. On Friday, Sept. 11, all students attend for a half-day session and pep rally. Monday, Sept. 14 is the first full day of school for everyone.
All Saints Catholic Academy
The All Saints Catholic Academy administration believes that the STEM fields are the direction for new professionals.
“This year we’re trying to become a hands-on science school,” said school spokeswoman Mary Cole. “We want to get closer to a STEM program. We think that’s the way the future of the school should be going.”
Although only in its “infant stages” this year, new principal Sister Rita Fritzen is a strong advocate. She joined All Saints last year after 17 years of school posts in the Paterson Diocese.
“She’s a very old-school nun, with forward thinking on this,” Cole said. That forward thinking includes getting students to use as much technology as possible, incorporating it into every subject. A continuation of last year’s new online school newspaper is part of that plan.
Another career-oriented initiative is additional foreign language instruction to better prepare students for the global economy and just about any job dealing with diverse communities.
Because the school concentrates on developing the “whole” student, it will continue programs that develop spirituality, creativity, and community involvement. Among these are a performing arts program and the school garden.
The 500 students will begin classes on Sept. 9 with a half-day session. Sept. 10 and 11 will be half days also. The first full day of school will be Sept. 14.
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.To comment on this story online visit www.hudsonreporter.com.