www.southingtoncitizen.com
Volume 20, Number 36
Friday, September 8, 2023
Time for class
Off on Fridays Plainville moves to a four-day work week By Grace McFadden Special to The Citizen
Southington students go back to school with smiles on their faces
Plainville is in the process of piloting a fourday work week. The new schedule began Aug. 21, and will allow for employees to have Fridays off. The town offices involved in this change include the Senior Center, the Youth Center, the Municipal Center, and the Recreation Department.
By Nicole Zappone Record-Journal staff
SOUTHINGTON — The hallways at Flanders Elementary School were quiet and peaceful, but inside the classrooms, students were smiling and returning to their routines. Students in Southington were welcomed back to school on Thursday morning, Aug. 31, for the start of the 2023-24 school year.
Teacher excited to join students
First grader Evelina Bonczek, 6, smiles on the first day of school at Flanders Elementary School in Southington on Thursday, Aug. 31. Photos by Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
past two years. Before that, she taught third grade in another school district. “I am super excited for first grade,” Moreau said. “I love how they come not all knowing how to read, but then they learn how to read by the end of first grade.”
First-grade teacher Emily Moreau was excited for the first day of school. This year is her first teaching firstgrade students. She had been in a second-grade She said she loves how she classroom at Flanders for the can form the students and
that it’s a special year. She also loves their enthusiasm. “Today, they’ve been having a really good time and doing a good job listening to instruction,” Moreau said. The class was working on a 10-frame lesson in which they wrote down their names and drew a picture matching the first letter of
their name. A 10-frame is a tool used to teach number sense to younger elementary school students.
A principal’s journey Principal Katie Guerrette stopped in to visit Moreau’s classroom and could be seen working with the students See School, A12
Michael Paulhus, Town manager of Plainville, said he had been working with the Human Resources Director and the Assistant Town Manager Andy Cirioli to find ways to up recruitment and retention in the staff. “One of the aspects we looked at was a four-day work week, with respect to work life balance and making Plainville more attractive in terms of See Schedule, A12
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