For 50 of the past 60 years, I have entered a school building in late August or early September to begin a new school year either as a student or teacher/counselor. As I walked around the grounds at Bennet Academy trying to find the Board of Education meeting I was most impressed with it’s security. I couldn’t get in to the meeting or even find it because I parked in the back lot and signs directed me to locked gates that kept me from the front door. A nice young man who was supervising pickle ball and is a UConn student helped me find the meeting.
During the meeting, I listened to the Bennet administrators talk about the dedication and hard work of the staff. Helping 10 year olds from 7 different elementary schools adjust to a huge new building and the middle school schedule and opening lockers was a challenge. I heard about the entire staff, half of whom are new to the school, getting acclimated to a school that now housed 950 students from last year’s 400. I heard of suggestions to make changes for next year to introduce this year’s 4th graders to Bennett in the spring or over the summer. I could picture all of the pace and the confusion and the patience needed and felt exhausted for the teachers. I was glad that I did not have to participate in the frenzy.
The meeting was short or it was for me since I arrived late. Most items on the agenda had been covered. I would have liked to have had a tour of the building.
