Small Town News

GFW schools prepare for an exciting first day

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GFW schools are busy preparing for an exciting and fun filled first day on September 8. This year will be a year of transition and growth, full of opportunity and promise. Last spring's consolidation will bring a number of new students to all of the GFW schools. Six exchange students are scheduled to begin high school in Winthrop. An unusually high number of new teachers will be joining the GFW family this year and Kindergarten will make the transition from an every-other-day schedule to every day all.day.

Elementary and Middle school principal Ralph Fairchild said that the goals for this year are the same as they always are, relationships, safety and belonging. "We want to make students feel safe and feel like they belong," Fairchild said. "This year it will be a little different challenge. I'm interested to see how we will respond to this challenge, but I think we will respond really well. I'm not worried about our staff making kids feel welcome. We have a top notch crew here. We are excellent at building relationships and helping kids feel welcome and adjusted."

Enrollment numbers resulting from the consolidation last spring are about what GFW officials had expected, although enrollment numbers change daily as students stop in to register. "We will have a better idea the third week of September," High School Principal Jeff Bertrang said.

"This year will tell how effective we are at welcoming others. McLeod West went through an emotional thing and this will be a hard adjustment for them, but this isn't us and them. This is all of our place. After all, the building isn't the school. The people make the school. It's less about mortar and more about memories, less about construction and more about cooperation," Fairchild said.

To ensure that transitions are as pain free as possible, each site has a plan to help acclimate kids. The elementary school will have activities within each classroom as each teacher spends time getting to know his or her own students and helps them get to know each other. This year, smaller class sizes will make relationship building in the classroom easier.

The middle school has a first day that is light on routine and heavy on fun. Team building exercises will give students and staff a chance to practice team work.

At the high school, student council has planned activities at the Winthrop City Park. The students will head over to the park at noon for a grill-out lunch. Entertainment has been planned by the student council. Free carnival style games including ring toss, bocce ball, bean bags and board games will be free to all students. A few games, like the dunk tank, will require a small fee. Concessions will also be available at a small cost to students.

The park activities will give students the chance to socialize. New students can get to know their classmates and returning students can reconnect. It also gives the teachers an opportunity to get to know students on a social level. The high school is also continuing the transition program for entering freshmen.

With a number of staff additions and current staff changing positions, the first day of school will mean adjustments for teachers as well as students. At the high school, one new teacher will be added in the special education department. Heather Bakke will replace Susan Sherwood as the LD special education teacher.

At the middle school, Ardie Seehafer is moving from special education to fifth grade science and math. Leah Wilberts will teach seventh grade math and eighth grade reading. Reading is a new offering in eighth grade. Mary Leitheiser will return to the middle school where she first was employed for GFW before moving to the high school for a librarian position. She will be teaching seventh and eighth grade social studies this year. Kevin Johnson will teach sixth, seventh and eighth grade instrumental and fifth grade classroom music. Sandy Schafer recently retired from a neighboring district, but will be returning to the classroom to teach part time computer at GFW. Heather Brandt will replace Seehafer in Special Education and Kristin Kocmick will also be joining the special education team.

A very recent addition to the Elementary school teacher's roster will allow all four grades to have three sections will small class sizes. Missy Hunter is the newest addition in the fourth grade. Mrs. Hentges will increase from part time to full time in the third grade. Sharon Sarfling will take on the extra section of second graders. Jean Fairchild will take on the third section of first graders. Jessica Jordan will move from a part time second grade position to full time kindergarten in the newly constructed classroom. For an introduction to the new staff, please see the New Teachers story in this edition of the Winthrop News.

GFW is not implementing any new programs or curriculum this year, but the current programs and curriculum will be fine tuned and evaluated throughout the year. Although all materials and programs are constantly evaluated for effectiveness and fine tuned as needed, Curriculum at all of the GFW schools is reviewed on a three year rotating cycle with a select number of subject areas being reviewed each year.



Copyright 2009 Winthrop News, Winthrop, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 Winthrop News Winthrop, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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