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Date: 12/15/2021
HUNTINGTON — Student guides from Gateway Regional High School, Littleville Elementary School in Huntington and Chester Elementary School greeted town officials from Chester, Huntington and Middlefield for a tour of their schools on Dec. 6, an invitation extended by Superintendent Kristen Smidy, who joined the group, in advance of the 2022-23 budget season.
Gateway High seniors Nicole Hannigan, Chloe Govoni and Landon Richard greeted Chester Town Administrator Kathe Warden and Finance Committee member Andrew Myers, Middlefield Selectman Curt Robie and Huntington School Committee member Pegg Dragon, then led them through the halls, pointing out classes and areas of interest.
For example, the student guides took the group into the digital photography classroom, which is equipped with new cameras and a video animator this year to go with new computers last year.
During the COVID-19 pandemic remote learning weeks, the class made video announcements to classmates.
Passing a gymnasium set up for floor hockey, the guides said the winter basketball season had just started, and Gateway had enough students for the girls to have varsity and junior varsity teams this year. Students said they also have an option to choose between gym class and the Fit for Life workout room, to work out on the equipment, in order to accommodate their schedules.
Welding is one of two Chapter 74-approved vocational education programs at Gateway. Govoni, vice president of the Student Council, said she is the only one who is taking the class as an elective. All of the other students are enrolled in the certification program with Paul Atkinson, who is in his 12th year of teaching the industrial arts program, which offers welding and fabrication, and prepares students for state certification following graduation.
The other Chapter 74 program at Gateway is the early education and care program, which prepares students for an EEC Professional Qualifications Certificate as a preschool teacher. Students in the program spend structured time in the on-site full-day preschool, located in the high school wing. Graduating students are also prepared for a variety of potential pathways to careers and further study at the associate’s or bachelor’s degree level.
Both Govoni and Hannigan, who is the senior class president, said they took the first year of the EEC program before realizing it wasn’t for them. They said they were grateful for the opportunity to be exposed to the career path.
All three of the guides are interested in science, and have taken advanced online courses which are supervised in the library. Richard is studying pre-med, and wants to pursue dental and medical studies in college. Hannigan has taken advanced courses in German and body mechanics. Govoni has been accepted to Quinnipiac University, and will work toward a master’s degree on her way to becoming a physician’s assistant.
Sixth grader Colton Morewiec and school principal Megan Coburn took over as guides for Littleville Elementary School. Although the fifth and sixth grades are considered elementary grades, the school has moved those classrooms to the middle school side of the campus this year to make way for an expanding pre-kindergarten program.
Coburn said as soon as children turn 3 years of age, they can enroll in pre-kindergarten, which is a free program at Gateway. There are two half-day programs in Littleville, and the district plans to add a third classroom, which will serve up to 30 new students in two half-day shifts.
“We may have to add another kindergarten with the pre-kindergarten [class] moving up,” Coburn said. She said Littleville has two kindergarten classes with 18 students in each. However, she said, not all of the students in pre-kindergarten go on to enroll in Littleville; “It’s always a bit of a waiting game.”
Littleville primarily serves pupils from Huntington, Montgomery and Russell.
Passing by the gymnasium and the playground, where a lot of the students were outside playing, Morewiec pointed out new playground equipment, which Coburn said was purchased through parent donations. Smidy said more playground equipment is the number one request school administrators receive from parents.
Other classrooms were for a Braille and English language learner teacher, and physical and occupational therapy. Coburn said there are 12 ELL students enrolled at Littleville.
Morewiec talked about the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classroom, obviously a favorite of his, where hands-on project learning takes place once a week. He also showed the group the art room, which has a drawing center, collage and painting areas.
Coburn said K-6 grades have “specials,” courses that include library, music, art, gym, health and STEM. Specials teachers travel between the Littleville and Chester schools, and also teach fifth and sixth graders.
Coburn also talked about the wrap-around program, which starts at 7 a.m. before school, and runs until 5:30 p.m. after school, allowing children to arrive to school early or leave late to accommodate the schedules of working parents. She said there is a cost to the program, which is run by paraprofessional Melinda Slowey.
At Chester Elementary School, the group of town officials was greeted by fifth grader Charlotte Letendre and Assistant Principal Darlene Rehor.
The tour in Chester included many of the same classrooms, such as the occupational and physical therapy room, and a substantially separate room for one-on-one therapy. Rehor said that Gator Grins, the school-based dental program in partnership with the Hilltown Health Center, will also be starting up again.
Chester also has a room for STEM, music and art specials, while the gym class, assemblies and movie nights are in the gymnasium. There is also a wrap-around program for Chester students, who primarily come from Blandford, Chester and Middlefield, as well as a summer camp program.
The Chester campus sits in the field of a former apple orchard, next to the woods and the Westfield River. Myers recalled that when the school was built 20 years ago, it was designed to bring the outdoors in, with features such as a glass-walled cafeteria. Due to social distancing requirements, the cafeteria is now used every other month by two classes at a time, who eat in their classrooms on off months.
“I thought the tour was well done, especially having students as our guides. I was impressed by the preschool classes, and was glad to hear they are adding additional classes to address demand,” Myers said after the tour, adding, “Gateway’s tuition-free preschool is unique to this area, and with their wrap-around activities, they are providing a valuable service to working families, as well as providing youngsters with educational advantages.”