LISBON

School starts for Lisbon students on Tuesday, Sept. 1 and Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Grades K through 9 start school Tuesday, when there will be a freshmen orientation at Lisbon High School. All other high school students start the following day. School runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be an open house at the school on Thursday, Sept. 3.

Students at the high school will see some new faces. Samantha Allshouse is a new science teacher, Jennifer Chick is new to the English department and John Jaques is a new technology teacher and integrator for the high school as well as Philip W. Sugg Middle School.

John D’Alfonso will also join the Lisbon schools staff as an art teacher.

The major change at the high and middle school campus is the high school gymnasium project which Superintendent Richard Green said is scheduled for completion Sept. 25-26. Principal Nicholas Gannon said as the school year starts, the traffic pattern will continue to be two-way in front of the high school and urges drivers to use caution and access the middle and high schools via Capital Avenue. Parking is limited, he said.

Student schedules were in the mail Monday. The high school has switched to a fourperiod alternating day schedule for all content areas.

“This has allowed for additional course offerings, appropriate class time, and reduced class sizes in many areas,” Gannon said.

The passing grade for students in grades 9 through 11 has been increased from a 2.0 to a 2.5, according to Gannon.

“We are implementing an extended intervention period on Wednesdays,” Gannon said. “This will be an opportunity for students to meet with teachers during the school day to improve their academic performance.”

Gannon said that the school is using a “standardsreferenced system” in which academic achievement for 10- 20 standard per course is reported individually. Students score in a range of 1 to 4, with 1 signifying not meeting the standard, 2 signifying partially meeting the standard, 3 signifying meeting the standard or “proficiency” and 4 signifying exceeding the standard.

“We have eliminated study halls and will be implementing academic support periods,” Gannon said. “This will be a time for students to meet with an adult to assess their academic progress, create a plan for improving academic performance, and fulfill that plan.”

Students and faculty can expect visitors in the school Oct. 4 through Oct. 7 when the New England Association of Schools and Colleges will be conducting an accreditation visit at Lisbon High School.

The first day of school at Philip W. Sugg Middle School is Tuesday, Sept. 1. On Monday, Aug. 31 there is an open house at 6 p.m. at the school for parents and students.

“Much of our professional development is focused on Intervention Blocks, which will be designated Target Time,” said PWS Principal Darren Akerman. “These are opportunities to help students meet individual learning goals with a range of instructional tools such as IXL, Khan Academy, and Google Classroom. Our focus on developing and sustaining a positive, safe school culture will be supported through our work with restorative practices.”

“We will be presenting an array of student work online this year, and offering a wide range of extra-curricular activities,” he said.

Lisbon Community School will host an open house 6-7 p.m. tonight, followed by a kindergarten orientation Friday, Aug. 28 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The first student day for elementary students is Tuesday, Sept. 1. Students can arrive as early at 7:45 a.m. for school, which starts at 8 a.m. Dismissal starts at 2:30 p.m.

dmoore@timesrecord.com