Students at the Glastonbury-East Hartford Elementary Magnet School will be starting their new school year tomorrow morning, however their teachers have already been back at school for a week—working hard to prepare for the students’ return.
Teachers at the CREC (Capitol Region Education Council) school recently reflected on what they have planned for the upcoming school year and what they’re looking forward to this fall.
Physical education teacher Greg Grochowski says he plans to change up the school’s field day this year and include more student-driven activities. He hopes to have fifth graders design some of their own stations for the event. Art teacher Katie Eck is planning to have every child at the school paint a kindness rock. She wants to display the kindness rocks outside the school at the end of the year.
Second-grade teachers and building reps Laura Berent and Sheri Raffalo say they always look forward to meeting their new students and getting to know their strengths and weaknesses—as well as collaborating with students’ families.
Jess Fagan and Monica Quimby-Gupta, who teach kindergarten, are looking forward to working together this year and getting to know their new students.
First-grade teachers Christine Peach, Lisa Silva, and Ana Serrano-Stanco say they’re looking forward to working together in a new configuration this year. Serrano-Stanco says the students will be bringing in several items in an “all about me” bag, and she’s looking forward to seeing how they choose to introduce themselves to the class.
Kindergarten teachers Brooke Rau and Lisa Cordova, the CREC Education Association president, say they look forward to meeting their new students, seeing their students from last year again, and reconnecting with families.
Elephant and Piggy, The Pigeon, Skippyjon Jones, and others wait to great the kindergartners in Cordova’s class. Cordova says she finds the kids enjoy these children’s book characters because they can relate the characters’ situations to ones they themselves have faced.
Positive sayings will soon greet older students ascending to the school’s second floor.
