Martha’s Vineyard public schools open Tuesday, Sept. 5, for all students K-12.
In an opening letter to staff, Matt D’Andrea, superintendent of schools, wrote that new teachers will return Monday and returning teachers arrive for a district-wide convocation at 8:30 am Wednesday.
Mr. D’Andrea wrote there are minimal staff changes at the central office, though Edith Rousseau is retiring after 18 years as administrative assistant. Ruda Stone takes over for Ms. Rousseau.
The letter also emphasizes the welcoming and safe environment needed for students to be successful. “With this in mind, we look closely at our health and wellness programs to evaluate how we are delivering information to our students around making healthy choices,” he wrote. “By reviewing how we deliver this instruction and the protocols we follow to address mental health issues we can begin to analyze how to best serve our students. Keeping our students healthy is a priority.”
School committees have been hearing about wellness education during meetings this summer.