SOUTH HADLEY — Students will have a few new spaces to enjoy this year as expansions and additions at two schools near completion.
An expanded playground at the Mosier Elementary School will give children more play options, and the high school’s culinary arts vocational program has a new space to call home.
Additionally, the district intends to launch an extensive examination of its middle school schedule, with an eye toward changes that give students a chance to take different subjects.
“We’re always trying to maximize the experience for kids,” Superintendent Nicholas Young said.
The playground at Mosier, Young said, was a bit dated. With the new improvements, students will have more swings and slides.
“We are trying to keep up, if you will,” Young said.
South Hadley High School
After a school year filled with construction, the culinary arts vocational program’s new space is ready for business.
The production kitchen and its attached Tiger’s Den bistro will give students a chance to practice their skills on industry-standard equipment.
Plans for a grand opening are still in the works, according to Young. Also in progress is the program’s “golden seal of approval” — its Chapter 74-approved vocational technical education program certification.
The bistro, a deep red with both tables and lounge seating, is a space more commonly found in a restaurant rather than attached to a high school.
At the beginning of the school year, the bistro will be open for teachers during lunch to purchase meals at cost, according to Ezra Bleau, chef and culinary arts instructor. As the year progresses, plans for student use of the bistro are in the works.
Now that the kitchen space will be up and running, Bleau said he is looking forward to community integration. Last year the culinary arts students provided baked goods for the annual Tiger Trot.
The goal, he said, is to give the community a chance to see good going on in the school.
At Michael E. Smith Middle School, administrators will examine options for the middle school schedule to see what works best for students, Young said.
“Public schools constantly have to re-look at their schedule,” Young said. “Any public school worth its salt has to constantly re-examine that question.”
The school will look at the schedule to evaluate the best options to maximize opportunities for students to take different subjects.
“It’s always a struggle to figure out how to accommodate all the different kinds of educational experiences you want kids to have,” Young said.
Parents and teachers will have an opportunity to provide input in the process, which Young said he expects will take 24 to 36 months.
“We have students that want to do everything and you add up everything and they want more than there is periods in the day,” Young said. “You try to figure out the best mix to give them the maximum opportunities in the time you have.”
Meantime, the search for a principal at the middle school continues as the job has been reposted.
“The process is opened until closed,” Young said.
Paul Plummer, a longtime area educator and principal at school since 2013, died suddenly in April. Since his death, Mosier School Principal Paul Goodhind has been filing in as interim principal.
Mosier Vice Principal David Gallagher has been serving as interim principal at Mosier School.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.