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School Start Just Around the Corner

It’s that time of year again; time to ready the backpacks and new shoes, lunch boxes and matching water bottles, new outfits and old friends. It’s time to prepare for back-to-school time, for the Region 4 2018-’19 school year.

Essex Elementary School Principal Jennifer Tousignant suggests that this is the time during the summer that elementary school-aged students should start to get back into a set routine, readying the little ones for the upcoming schedule of the new school year. She says parents should make sure to read even more to their children, to get them to bed early, to get the supplies needed for the year, and to otherwise start preparing for the first day of school on Thursday, Aug. 30.

“We are eagerly anticipating the beginning of the 2018-’19 school year and we are very happy to welcome back our former students, as well as our new incoming kindergarteners,” said Tousignant.

Essex Elementary School will hold an open house Tuesday, Aug. 28. The kindergarten open house will begin at 1:30 p.m. and the open house for the 1st- through 6th-graders will begin at 2:15 p.m..

For the Region 4 students in 7th and 8th grade who will be attending John Winthrop Middle School, the bus ride to school on Thursday morning will definitely be smoother than it has been in the past. Town officials say the resurfacing of the long, hilly, curvy driveway to school will be completed prior to the first bell ringing. Smoothed out, resurfaced, and with a long stretch of new curbing, the new driveway leading to the school and the Region 4 administration building will be a welcome change for students, teachers, staff, parents, and bus drivers.

“The new driveway is very smooth, the lumps and bumps are all gone, and things look great,” said John Winthrop Principal Bill Duffy.

He added, “It’s been a great summer, but we are ready to get our students back in school. We will be moving forward with our creative and critical thinking theme this year and we are excited about getting started again.”