Back-to-School INFORMATION FOR DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION

Students and teachers in the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys prepare to return to the classrooms over the next few weeks. Some details:

Mahoning COUNTY

Austintown

First day: Tuesday.

Administrative changes: Tim Kelty, Fitch High School sophomore principal; Dennis Rice, Woodside Elementary principal and Bethany Batdorff, Frank Ohl Intermediate principal.

Curriculum changes: The staff is working with academic coaches to begin making the changes for the Common Core Curriculum in anticipation of being fully implemented for the 2013-14 school year. Common Core Standards are standards adopted by most states determining what’s taught in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Renovations: Austintown Fitch will again offer free shuttle service for all home football games. The service will run from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. with pick-up and drop-off at the west lot of Super Kmart at the corner of Raccoon Road and Mahoning Avenue. In collaboration with the township police and fire departments there is no parking in the fire lanes or on sidewalks throughout the campus. Progress on the kindergarten through second-grade and third- through fifth- grade buildings continues to keep the construction time line on track.

Boardman

First day: Sept. 4.

CAMPBELL

First day: Aug. 29.

Curriculum changes: Campbell Memorial High School will implement blended learning curriculum opportunities in Spanish and French as pilot projects this school year. Other areas of focus are the continuation of offering dual-credit classes to qualified students, expanding course offerings in math, expanding the offering of computers and other technology classes and developing intervention classes to better serve students that are working below proficiency levels. Dual-credit courses allow students to earn both high school and college credit at the same time. Campbell Elementary will implement the first year of the Swanston Grant called “Campbell Works for Children, which is the establishment of a one-stop model elementary building offering all services, educational and social, at one location.

Canfield

First day: Sept. 4.

Administrative changes: Alex G. Geordan, superintendent; and Traci Hostetler, fifth and sixth grade principal at Canfield Middle School.

Cardinal Mooney

First day: Tuesday

Curriculum: An academic letter program is being established for all students whose name appears on the honor roll for all four grade periods. Mooney is establishing a relationship with The American School, a program created to facilitate attendance at American schools by Asian students. The program assists parents of students from Asia who desire to have their children attend American secondary schools in anticipation of their future enrollment in American colleges. Of particular interest to these parents is the availability of advanced placement courses in the high schools in which they enroll their children. Nine students from the program will attend Cardinal Mooney this year.

Renovations: Installation of a new elevator adjacent to the main hall stairwell as a result of donations from parents, alumni and a grant from the Hynes-Finnegan Foundation. Completion of an outdoor concession stand to service fans attending games at the school’s sports complex. The project, undertaken by the school’s booster club, completes the revitalization of the concession stand in the school’s gym lobby.

Holy Family School

First day: Tuesday

Curriculum changes: Initial implementation of the Guided Reading Program will take place in the fall. The whole school is in the process of becoming fully wireless.

Horizon Science Acad.

First day: Monday.

JACKSOn-MILTON

First day: Sept. 5.

Curriculum changes: Dual credit courses offered at the high school including English 12, Discovering World History, Biology II. New art electives, drawing and painting, clay and printmaking and photography and graphic design also will be offered.

Renovations: The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County is building a new branch on the Jackson-Milton Campus. Construction has started.

Lowellville

First day: Aug. 27.

Administrative changes: Jared Van Kirk, kindergarten through 12th-grade principal.

Curriculum changes: Lowellville High School will work with Struthers and offer college courses in high school in calculus and chemistry. Struthers students will travel to Lowellville for calculus, and Lowellville students will travel to Struthers for chemistry. Lowellville will offer additional high school courses to students for the first time including speech/communication, film study, journalism/broadcasting, political science and statistics.

Mollie Kessler

First day: Sept. 5.

Poland

First day: Sept. 4.

Administrative changes: Don Dailey will serve as interim superintendent for the 2012-2013 school year.

ST. JOSEPH PROVIDER

First day: Tuesday.

Renovations: The parish renovated the library and one of the classrooms installing a new ceiling, ceiling fans, new lighting and new carpeting. In keeping up with technology, the computer lab will have five more computers added to it. All students will have Netbooks to use in their classrooms and also the Turning Technology “clicker” system, which allows all students to answer questions asked by the teacher, but only the teacher sees the answer.

Sebring

First day: Aug. 27.

Administrative changes: Superintendent Christopher Lewis and high school Principal Christopher Corbi.

SOUTH RANGE

First day: Sept. 5.

Administrative changes: New middle school principal, Dan Szolec.

Renovations: New board office is across from the kindergarten through 12th-grade building at 11375 Columbiana Canfield Road. The office used to be on South Avenue.

Springfield

First day: Sept. 5.

Renovations: The high school gymnasium was painted, its floor refinished and painted, and new handicapped accessible bleachers were added. A new secure front entrance was installed at the high school. The high school biology room was renovated and upgraded.

Stambaugh Charter Acad.

First day: Wednesday.

Administrative changes: Joni Byus will serve as the kindergarten through first-grade intervention dean this year. Wendy Thomas will serve as the second- through fifth-grade dean. Paul Fields serves as the sixth- through eighth- grade dean.

Curriculum changes: To supplement the curriculum and the transition to Common Core Standards, the standards adopted by most states for all grade levels, Stambaugh has added accelerated reading to promote recreational reading on a daily basis. A new online program called Think Through Math will be used both as intervention for students below grade level and to accelerate learning for grade level or higher students. Starting the first week of October tutoring will be available to all enrolled students from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. three days a week at the school.

Struthers

First day: Aug. 27.

Administrative changes: Treasurer Arthur Ginnetti.

Ursuline

First day: Wednesday.

Curriculum changes: Advanced placement psychology and Fighting Irish Fitness have been added to this year.

Renovations: The gymnasium renovation has been completed with new bleachers, electronic backboards and painting. Several classrooms received new curtains, carpeting and painting. Parking lots were sealed and lined. The school also continued to upgrade classrooms.

West Branch

First day: Sept. 5.

Administrative changes: Middle school, Principal Roger Kitzmiller.

Western Reserve

First day: Sept. 5.

Administrative changes: Jeff Zatchok, superintendent/high school principal; Charles Swindler, business manager; and Debbie Farelli, kindergarten through eighth-grade principal.

Youngstown Acad.

First day: Aug. 13.

Curriculum changes: New math curriculum will be implemented in grades five through eight.

Renovations: Renovation of the gymnasium should be completed by late fall.

Youngstown CITY

First day: Sept. 4.

Administrative changes: Harding Elementary, Principal Susan Koulianos; Martin Luther King Elementary, Principal Sherri Bobeck; William Holmes McGuffey Elementary, Catherine Dorbish; P. Ross Berry, Lisa Gonzalez-Miller; University Project Learning Center, Todd Morris.

Curriculum changes: Choffin Career and Technical Center will offer three new programs this year. Aquaponics is a system of farming creating a complete cycle of symbiotic relationships where the fish help plants, and the plants help fish. Welding involves designing and building with metal as well as job preparation, and students in video production will study video and broadcast production and get involved in competitions. Choffin Career Academy is a new program for overage and under-credited ninth-grade students to get them back on track for graduation. At East Ninth Grade Academy, students will learn in pods and be taught by the same teachers for two years to build a family-like relationship. P. Ross Berry changes to an eighth-grade only school with a focus on preparation for high school.

Renovations: The newly renovated Rayen Stadium opens for Saturday’s East-Ursuline game.

Trumbull CoUNTY

Bristol

First day: Aug. 27.

Renovations: Improved heating and air conditioning at the elementary building a new roof over the middle school section.

Brookfield

First day: First through 12th grades, Aug. 29; kindergarten, Sept. 5.

Girard

First day: Tuesday

Hubbard

First day: Aug. 28.

Renovations: Hubbard Middle school students will join elementary and high school students at the new K-12 campus building on Hall Avenue.

Liberty

First day: Aug. 27.

LORDSTOWN

First day: Wednesday

Adminsitrative changes: High school/middle school, Principal James Rasile.

Niles CITY

First day: First through 12th grades, Aug. 27; kindergarten, Aug. 31.

Administrative changes: McKinley High School, Principal Mark Lucas; Jackson Elementary, Principal Tracie Parry; Washington Elementary, Principal Christopher Staph.

ST. ROSE SCHOOL

First day: Wednesday

Renovations: New windows throughout the building.

Warren CITY

First day: Aug. 27.

Administrative changes: Michael Notar is the new superintendent and Dante Capersis the new high school principal.

Curriculum changes: The start times will be Jefferson K-8, 8:25 a.m.; Lincoln K-8, 9 a.m.; McGuffey K-8, 7:55 a.m.; Willard K-8. 7:55 a.m.; and Warren G. Harding High School, 7:35 a.m.

Last year, there were two starting times within each K-8 building, said Aaron Schwab, school district spokesman.

Weathersfield

First day: Aug. 27. COLUMBIANA COUNTY

COLUMBIANA

First day: Aug. 27

Administrative changes: Lance Hostetler is the new high school principal.

Curriculum changes: Character education workshops are being added at the middle and high schools.

Crestview

First day: Aug. 27

Administrative changes: middle school, Principal Jeff Richardson.

Heartland Christian

First day: Aug. 27

Curriculum changes: Because of the growing elementary program, HCS will have two classes per grade in the second, third and fourth grades this year.

Renovations: The main school office has been moved to the first floor to allow for easier access for those entering the building. A former classroom has been remodeled and been divided into four offices. The music room has been moved into a new area to allow for better access to the school auditorium.

Lisbon

First day: Aug. 27.

United

First day: Aug. 29.

Pennsylvania

Greenville

First day: Aug. 27.

Mercer

First day: Sept. 4.

Administrative changes: Michael Piddington will take over as principal for both the high school and middle school, and Greg Acre will serve as the new dean of students at the secondary level.

Mohawk

First day: Aug. 27.

NEW CASTLE

First day: Aug. 27.

Administrative changes: Joe Anderson is the new principal of George Washington Intermediate School.

West Middlesex

First day: Sept. 4

Curriculum changes: For the 2012-2013 school year the district is continuing the transition to Pennsylvania Common Core Standards through the implementation of the Everyday Mathematics programs.