School starts on Thursday

St. Martin Parish teachers and students return to school this week as the 2015-16 session gets underway.
In one of the earliest openings in recent years, faculty and staff reported yesterday (Tuesday) for two days of in-service activities.
They will welcome an estimated 8,200 students for the first day of class on Thursday, Aug. 6.
The previous earliest start of classes was Aug. 9 two years ago.
The school year will run through May 25 but includes generous holidays – a full week for Thanksgiving and Mardi Gras, a week plus one day for Easter, and two weeks over Christmas and New Years, along with Labor Day, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
St. Martin School District Superintendent Dr. Lottie P. Beebe said Monday that only two classroom teacher positions remained vacant but expressed optimism that the instructors would be in place by Thursday. The system has hired 50 new teachers to replace retirees and others leaving the field.
“I commend our Human Resources staff and school principals for their efforts in securing teachers,” Dr. Beebe said. “Several teachers resigned last week, creating vacancies and leaving principals to conduct last minute interviews.”
Dr. Beebe said the transportation system is in place, and bus operators attended a back-to-school orientation yesterday.
“At the beginning of each school year there is always the possibility a few ‘glitches’ might arise,” she added. “But I am confident the transportation department will respond in an efficient manner.”
A major reconfiguration of schools in Breaux Bridge takes effect this year, with students from Breaux Bridge Elementary being moved from the old campus on West Bridge Street to share the Breaux Bridge Primary campus on East Bridge Street, along with the opening of the new College & Career Readiness Center on the old BBE site.
Beebe said the old BBE cafeteria will likely temporarily be used to assist the BB Primary and relocated BB Elementary lunchroom personnel.
And the removal of many shelving units on the old BBE campus has required “touch up” painting in several classrooms to facility the transition to the College & Career Center.
“Although there have been timeline challenges stemming from the numerous renovations at many of our campuses, I must applaud the leadership within the District and commend each for working together as a team to ensure our students are provided environments conducive to learning,” Beebe says.
“I also applaud the many educators and staff who spent much of their summer break preparing for the 2015-2016 school year,” she added. “Test scores for grades 3-8 are expected to arrive sometimes this fall and other assessment results indicate we must continue to work diligently to attain our vision and mission. We realize our graduation rate needs to improve and our response to this is the opening of the College & Career Readiness Center which will provide opportunities to students who are interested in electrical, certified nursing assistants, cosmetology, Pro-Start, and T2-oil and gas. The Army JROTC Program will also extend services to students who qualify at each of the parish high schools.”

Following the same early opening schedule is St. Bernard School in Breaux Bridge, a private/parochial school serving pre-K through eighth grade students, which now includes a number of St. Martinville youngsters who have transferred from Trinity Catholic School which closed its doors at the conclusion of the 2014-15 session.