September 1, bugles sounded and Freeport teachers returned to school in an unusually early calendar configuration. Over 500 returning teachers as well as about 45 new hires participated in the traditional Meet and Greet and Welcome Back speeches given by Dr. Eversly and other key central administrators, school board representatives as well as the Freeport Teachers’ Association. Crammed to the minute, Opening Day activities also included school meetings, department and grade level meetings as well as the 2nd Annual Community BRBQ, held at Freeport High School. It was enough to leave returning teachers in a state of overload even before completing their classroom organization and meeting students the day after Labor Day. “Frazzled, migraine in the making, anxious, concerned, breathless, and even, overwhelmed,” were some of the newly coined and older adjectives frequently used to describe their mental states. Other words, such as challenging, exciting and provocative” also were overheard in the building hallways. Dr. Harold Kirschbaum, veteran Dodd Social Studies teacher said, “Coming back, I feel like a veteran baseball player going through another session of spring training preparing for another season.. While I know that it’s important to teach children content area literacy skills so that they can achieve success in the real world and, although I do love teaching, re-immersion is always difficult.” However, ready to take up their arms (chalk, textbooks and markers) we return to the efforts of improving student literacy and performance on assessments.

Thursday’s sessions also included specialized training for thirteen veteran teachers. Following NY State mandates for the mentoring of new teachers, Freeport is fulfilling an oft repeated request by the FTA to put into place a program that will help novice teacher’s transition into effective experienced educators. Trainers, John Signorelli, along with Judy McCreedy said that Lillian Guttman, past president of the FTA along with the central administration cooperated to bring this mentoring program back to Freeport.

Signorelli confirmed that research on the needs of beginning teachers show different stages of concern. He also went on to affirm that building confidentiality and trust between the veteran and newer teachers was integral to the success of the program. Teachers hoping to share their skills and “savoir faire” met for an intensive day’s activities that included role playing, exploring situational possibilities and the nitty gritty of every day classroom life within the grade levels in each building. All agreed that understanding the culture of the school as well as the community was integral to success in the classroom. The following teachers participated in the program: Atkinson teachers: Jeanne Dione (Gr 6), Carey Frederick, (Gr 5) Sharin Gross, (ESL) Mary Kate Gunther, (Gr 5) Nancy Hanrahan, (Challenge) Patricia Pohmer, (Health) Dodd teachers: Nancy Berg, (Sp. Ed) Dr. Harold Kirschbaum, (SS) Judi Summers, (English) Giblyn: teachers: Robin Burros, (2nd Gr. Sp. Ed) Anita McMillan (2nd Gr.) New Visions teachers: Marie Codispotti, (3rd Gr) Roseann Penna (2nd Gr. Incl.)