Smooth opening day for Swampscott schools

SWAMPSCOTT – The first day of school went off without a hitch Wednesday.Superintendent Matthew Malone said he didn’t expect any less.”I always have high expectations and always start the school year with high expectations,” he said. “I didn’t expect anything less. We have good people.”Malone said he made a point of visiting every school in the district Wednesday.”We had a great opening,” he said. “Things went extremely well. The kids and adults were happy and there was a lot of positive spirit in the air. Everyone was enthusiastic and ready to get down to the business of teaching and learning.”Malone said teachers and students alike were immersed in academics when he visited the various sites on the first day of school.”Clearly the teaching and learning process has begun,” he said. “On Thursday morning I visited a study hall at the high school. I observed students in study hall working on their advanced placement psychology homework already. It was impressive. That’s what we do in Swampscott – hit the ground running.”At the elementary school level, Malone said on Wednesday he observed teachers using techniques learned during the summer.”Over the summer we invested in creating a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. It was part of our anti-bullying initiative. It was impressive to see the first- and second-grade teachers implementing that on the first day of school.”This is the first year all the fifth-grade students in the district are attending the middle school and Malone said that transition went as planned.”I really have to congratulate the painters and custodial staff for the work they did over the summer,” he said. “There were new learning spaces to prepare including the fifth-grade space at the middle school. Everyone did a great job.”Malone said good communication between the principals and parents was also a factor in the smooth opening.”The building secretaries are the unsung heroes in all this,” he said. “The secretaries made sure all the logistics were handled and everyone knew what to expect. Good communication between the schools and home really helped.”