Three Fayetteville Schools Begin New Academic Year

STAFF PHOTO DAVID GOTTSCHALK Malori Smith, 11, from left, Tiffany Nguyen, 11, and Sophie Stout, 11, all sixth-graders, wait Tuesday in the hall with their school supplies at Owl Creek School after visiting with Leslie Drake, their adviser and art teacher at the Fayetteville school. Tuesday was the first day of school at Owl Creek which has switched to a continuous learning calendar, joining Asbell and Happy Hollow elementary schools in the district.
STAFF PHOTO DAVID GOTTSCHALK Malori Smith, 11, from left, Tiffany Nguyen, 11, and Sophie Stout, 11, all sixth-graders, wait Tuesday in the hall with their school supplies at Owl Creek School after visiting with Leslie Drake, their adviser and art teacher at the Fayetteville school. Tuesday was the first day of school at Owl Creek which has switched to a continuous learning calendar, joining Asbell and Happy Hollow elementary schools in the district.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Cooper Wuehler, 11, said he was glad to see his friends as school opened Tuesday at Asbell, Happy Hollow and Owl Creek schools for nearly 2,000 students in kindergarten through seventh grade.

Owl Creek joined Asbell and Happy Hollow elementary schools to operate on a continuous learning calendar, starting and ending the school year two weeks before and after the rest of the schools in the Fayetteville district. Students attend school for the required 180 days with longer breaks during the year for remediation, enrichment or vacation.

At A Glance

Adult Education Center

The fall schedule has been announced for Fayetteville Adult Education. Student testing, in-take, and orientation will be Tuesday through Aug. 15. The first day of class is Aug. 18. David Deggs, director of adult education, said the center offers morning, afternoon, evening, and distance learning classes for adult learners in Fayetteville and southern Washington County. Classes are taught at the main center at 612 S. College Ave. and at sites in Elkins and Lincoln. Classes are free. For more information, call 479-444-3041, visit www.fayar.net/adult…, or visit the program’s Facebook page.

Source: Staff Report

Owl Creek moved to the continuous calendar after nearly two years of discussing, planning and organizing the transition, said Principal Kristen Scott. The move was approved by the School Board last year.

Preparation for opening day wasn't much different than for a traditional year, Scott said.

The biggest part of getting ready was moving the district's summer feeding program and other summer programs that were at Owl Creek the past few summers. The programs were moved to Holt Middle School so maintenance crews would have adequate time to clean the school.

Lockers were moved from Fayetteville High School to the middle school section of Owl Creek, Scott said.

Gayle Bowman, a second-grade teacher, said she was excited to be at Owl Creek this year because of the continuous learning calendar. She transferred from Leverett Elementary School.

"I like the schedule because of the regular breaks," Bowman said. "I think students will get back into school faster because they are not out as long."

Malori Smith stood in the hall with her arms full of school supplies.

"I'm ready to learn," the sixth-grader said. "I missed my friends this summer. I want to learn to be positive."

Carri Finley, fifth-grade language arts teacher, spent the first period similar to homeroom explaining the class rules. At the end, she instructed her students to put on their name tags before they left for their next class. "I have to learn 85 names," she told the students.

Cooper said, "I have faith in you."

About 900 students, including 40 preschoolers, were expected at Owl Creek, Scott said.

Each of the three schools is fully staffed with teachers, said Greg Mones, human resources director. Brandon Craft replaces David McClure as assistant principal of Owl Creek middle school. McClure is the new principal at Woodland Junior High School.

Happy Hollow and Asbell principals said there are no major changes coming in this school year as they prepared for students' return Tuesday.

Principal Sharon Pepple said she expects about 460 students in kindergarten through sixth grade at Happy Hollow this year.

"It's much the same as last year," Pepple said.

Teachers spent most of last week in professional development classes to prepare for the new year. Pepple said she and a group of her teachers attended a workshop at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to learn more about integrating art into core courses.

Teachers at Asbell were learning a strategy to teach different types of language, such as common oral or academic, said Jill Jackson, a kindergarten teacher.

Kindergartners spend the first days of school learning procedures, Jackson said. They have to learn where to go to the bathroom and how to line up to go to the cafeteria or respond to a fire drill.

"It's all about procedure and modeling what we do," she said.

Carolyn Baughman, a second-grade teacher for 25 years at Asbell, said she attends workshops in the summer and thinks ahead about learning objectives to make sure she's on track with the Common Core State Standards.

"The curriculum is constantly changing. I don't do the same things I did 25 years ago," she said.

"You need the summer break," Baughman said. "You need the down time but school is in the back of your mind. And getting your classroom ready is a big deal."

Other schools in the district open Aug. 18.

NW News on 08/06/2014

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