TAC hears from Middletown panel

Portsmouth's school Transition Advisory Committee (TAC) met for the second time on Tuesday, May 18, and they heard advice from Middletown and pushed forward with planning on a variety of fronts. In addition to Supt. Susan Lusi, who facilitated, finance director Mark Dunham and school committee members Marge Levesque and Sylvia Wedge were on hand to listen.

The twenty-member TAC, comprising parents, teachers, and staff from across the district, listened intently and asked probing questions as a panel of five folks from Middletown described their experiences and learnings from the closure of JFK Elementary last year. They described a scenario similar to the Elmhurst closing, where students were split between Aquidneck and Forest Ave. Elementary.

One major theme that emerged was the need to overcommunicate. Middletown planned numerous events for parents and students to get information, tour the schools, and meet informally. "The biggest bang for the buck is to repeat it a bunch of times," said a Middletown panelist. "It's better to have a parent coming seven times than to miss their one opportunity." Middletown used student tours, breakfasts, ice cream socials, fact sheets, and even held open spots on the PTO for incoming parents.

And even with all the communication they planned, they stressed that some people still needed more information. "Rumors caused a lot of angst," said one panelist. "The more you can do before the end of the school year, the better."

Despite all the planning, they advised the TAC to expect glitches at the beginning. Traffic at the Aquidneck school was not anticipated, there were first-time issuse with some bus routes, and the weather didn't cooperate. But, they said, things did settle in, and that students, staff, and parents would adjust to the new configuration. Said one, "It really is the teachers, the people that are in front of you that make a difference."

After the 45-minute panel and discussion, the TAC reviewed their brainstorming from the first session, and moved into three breakout groups to dive into communication, process, and orientation plans.

In the report backs, the communications group suggested multiple touch points with parents, including e-mail, web information, and FAQ handouts tied to the key points in the transition timeline. "People want to know everything," said one participant.

The transition group reported their early thinking on school visits, including fact sheets for each school, and exploring the traditions from each of the schools and how they could be introduced to provide some familiarity for students.

The orientation breakout talked about some key dates, including the visits of students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th to the middle school, a grade 4-5 orientation, and a June 10 PTO night where incoming parents would meet at the middle school. The group reported that they needed more time, and Supt. Lusi noted that for a future agenda.

"Don't panic," said Lusi. "It's not realistic to assume that every issue will be addressed by June 1 [the last planned meeting of the TAC] but we'll at least have a plan for addressing them going forward."