Mary Beth Banios. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Jim O'Shea.

Scott Hoffman.

When the doors opened for the first day of the 2007–2008 school year on Wednesday, elementary school Principal Mary Beth Banios and Bromfield Principal Jim O’Shea were happy to see the halls filled again. Interviewed the week before school started, both principals and Scott Hoffman, associate vice principal, said that although a lot of things get done in summer when the buildings are quiet, a big part of the schools’ spirit is missing.

“It’s time to have more people in the building,” Hoffman said.

Banios welcomed a number of new staff members to the elementary school this year, including three classroom teachers, a special education teacher, and three math tutors for the new math skills intervention program. It is modeled after the reading skills intervention program instituted three years ago, and Banios is optimistic that the focus on math will yield improvements similar to those she has seen in reading skills. “We’re really seeing some strong, positive results from that,” she noted.

Also new this year are additional kindergarten sections, including two full-day programs in addition to one morning and one afternoon program. This year’s kindergarten classes will have access to new curriculum materials funded by a state grant Banios applied for last year, as well as some new shelving funded by the Shaw Trust. Further physical improvements to the school include a newly renovated courtyard restored by parent volunteers and freshly painted rooms and hallways. “Kudos to our custodial crew,” Banios said. “They went above and beyond over the summer.”

Now that she is in her fourth year as principal, Banios is beginning to see the goals she and other staff set for the school come to fruition. Working with staff and administration, a lot has been accomplished, she said, listing improvements in school technology, curriculum frameworks, the art program, and a standardized phonics curriculum, among others. With some relief, she noted that the transportation of students to and from school has fallen into a safe and predictable routine as well. No further changes to those procedures are envisioned, she said.

Banios foresees a shift toward the fine-tuning of teaching techniques and curriculum, as well as refinement of the individual learning assessments model. “We’re always looking to refine our work,” she said.

Over at Bromfield, O’Shea and Hoffman also added a combination of new teaching staff to the roster. A new science teacher and a new math teacher will help bring down class sizes, O’Shea said, one of the benefits of the overridepassed in the spring. In addition, there are two new courses available for older students: a class in anatomy and physiology and a class in consumer economics. Some students will also have access to a virtual high school program of online learning, which offers them a wider range of subject matter than that available at Bromfield.

One goal that the administration shares is making the school a successful place for learners of all types, Hoffman noted, adding that he sees the most important part of his job as support for teachers, parents, and students.

On the sports front, he said, there are two new faces on the coaching staff: Charlie Noonan will replace him as boys basketball coach, and Lou Monsegur will lead the golf team. Teacher Kevin Foster will return as the cross-country coach. Bromfield also underwent a light facelift over the summer, providing clean and newly painted rooms. O’Shea and Hoffman spoke highly of the custodial staff’s efforts over the break, followed by a back-and-forth exchange of compliments for all the Bromfield teachers and staff. “And Cindy and Susan, our office staff, they’re the glue,” Hoffman said.

Now settled into his second year as principal of Bromfield, O’Shea was optimistic about the start of school. “We’re just looking forward to a great year,” he said.