Worcester students, teachers and parents excited for start of new school year
WORCESTER - The new school year started Monday in Worcester for grades one through 12.
The children at the Clark Street Community School were welcomed back from summer break with music and smiling teachers.
"I just really like math and improving my reading even more," third grader Makaia Mcdaddie told WBZ-TV.
"I'm really excited they're back to school, especially they're proud to come into school, the excitement, the shopping, the desire to come meet new friends," said Makaia's father, Emmanuel Mcdaddie.
Some students needed some extra encouragement.
"I feel nervous but I feel ready to do this," a fifth grader told WBZ.
The principal here was named the administrator of the year last spring for leading a successful school improvement effort.
"Here at Clark Street School we have teachers and educators who love kids across the board, who are excited about working with kids across the board, who take pleasure and enjoyment out of seeing kids grow and develop the best version of themselves across the board and I think to get that kind of a unit together, is something, as a principal, I'm most proud of," said principal Fjodor Dukaj.
Some changes families in Worcester will see is that the elementary schools will have a new English Language Arts curriculum, all kindergarten classrooms get a full time paraprofessional, all high schools get a dean of students, and all schools received an increase of funds for their teacher supply budgets.
"It's a great place to be. It's very comforting. I say this is a time in history in Worcester Public Schools we're going to really capitalize on it" superintendent Rachel Monárrez told WBZ.
Kindergarten and pre-K classes in Worcester start Thursday.