Students head back to school

Chestnut Elementary School in Painesville was bustling with excitement on Aug. 16.

The halls were filled with parents and staff helping students find their classes and calm some of the firstday jitters.

Even Painesville Schools Superintendent John Shepard was greeting and welcoming students back.

“It’s the best time of the year for me,” Shepard said.

Although Isla Barajas was a little nervous about entering fourth grade, she said she is looking forward to science and social studies classes.

The ambitious 9-year-old already has set goals and is ready to tackle them.

“The students come in ready to learn and they want to be here,” said Chestnut Elementary School Principal Jamie Smith. “It’s been a pleasure to work here because our staff have created an environment in which students want to be here each day.”

She said the staff cares about Chestnut students and are talented at implementing key programs and initiatives at the school.

Heather Boyle, who is one of three ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers at Chestnut Elementary School, is also excited about classes resuming.

Boyle said she feels wellprepared and ready to create supportive classrooms for students.

One way of doing this is through the responsive classroom. Responsive classrooms are also referred to as a morning meetings.

“We incorporate our standards in what is about a 15- to 20-minute meeting where students greet each other, they do some type of welcoming speaking activity and they do a fun activity to get themselves started and motivated for the day,” she said. “It is a really important part of our day.”

While Boyle is teaching students English, she is also striving to become more fluent in Spanish.

“Being fluent in Spanish will help me communicate more effectively with students and parents,” she said.

Like Barajas and Boyle, Smith has also set ambitious goals for the 2017-2018 school year.

This is Smith’s second year as principal and she plans to continue to best meet the needs of all students.

“I’m looking forward to growing our building leadership team and continuing to work together for academic offerings for our students,” Smith said. “(Painesville Schools) strives to provide a comprehensive instructional program which meets the needs of all students by delivering the highest quality, research-based instruction. We also aim to create and provide effective supports and interventions to accelerate academic growth and promote positive behavior. Personally, my hopes and dreams for this year are that as a staff we can continue to grow and develop to our fullest to help each child reach his or her potential.”