School District Conducts Staff Orientation

By Eliza Hallabeck

This year’s new staff orientation, held from Monday, August 13, to Thursday, August 16, offered workshops and more to new staff and those hired after last year’s orientation was conducted.

“It’s going well,” said Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Gejda on Wednesday, August 15, at Reed Intermediate School as Newtown Middle School Assistant Principal Anthony Salvatore offered a “Creating a Positive Learning Environment” presentation. “We have a great, wonderful, talented group of people,” she said.

Twenty-one people attended this year’s new staff orientation, with 13 of those people new to the district. Dr Gejda said almost all of the positions are not new positions in the district, rather the new staff replace people who retired or left after last school year.

This year’s new staff orientation began with coffee in Reed’s library early Monday morning, with introductions shortly following. Dr Gejda also spoke about Newtown’s “Past, Present, and Future.”

Other speakers during the week included Director of Human Resources Joan Libby, Newtown High School Principal Charles Dumais, Newtown Federation of Teachers President Tom Kuroski, Newtown High School Assistant Principal Kathy Boettner, and Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson.

Building tours were also offered during the first day of the orientation, with a scavenger hunt.

Some of the workshops offered throughout the process were “Differentiation: Reaching and Teaching all Students,” “Depth of Knowledge,” “Common Core: Literacy for Other Disciplines,” and “Protocols for Looking at Student Work.”