WORCESTER— As Principal Kathy Martinelli prepared to welcome staff, teachers and students for the first day of school at Nelson Place Elementary, the large media presence with cameras lined up along the rear entrance wasn’t her only concern.
“That was done on purpose,” she said of the decision to highlight Nelson Place as a focal point for the press, representing the entire district. “It was a little overwhelming!”’
This was not Martinelli’s first rodeo, however. “It’s my 37th birthday” in education, she told the Worcester Guardian the following morning. “I was at Columbus Park for 10 years before coming here.”
The new Nelson Place opened in 2017. It accommodates children in pre-K through sixth grade, including students with disabilities — a number of whom are autistic.
“It went fine,” she said, of the first day. “We had 642 kids arriving, at least 15 buses — so safety was a priority.”
Excitement was at a peak as Superintendent Rachel H. Monárrez and Mayor Joseph M. Petty waited with others to extend their greetings.
“I love the first day of school, it’s my favorite day of the year. It glimmers with possibilities,” Monárrez told reporters.
To a question about changes being made for 2024-25, she said, “The teachers don’t want that; they want us to go deeper. This year is about that: professional learning and collaboration.”
The recurring issue of cell phones in schools prompted the superintendent to say that there isn’t a ban on cell phone usage. But, she noted, there is an emphasis on cell phones being used “educationally;” more so in the classroom, too, at the high school level, at the discretion of teachers.
“If a parent doesn’t feel a cell phone is in the best interest of the child, we are okay with that.”
The district’s director of safety monitors the safeguards that have been put in place for buildings throughout the system, she said. Fire drills, lockdown drills and practice preparation are part of “a pro-active approach” the district is taking. “We’re ready.”
After 30 years in education, “I feel more steady about what to expect,” she said.
All of Worcester’s middle schools are staffed, she said. “High school, we have eight vacancies, elementary—15 as of last Thursday. Transportation is 100 percent staffed and that’s a big deal.”
Rod Lee is a career journalist, a veteran of the media scene in Central Massachusetts and the author of seven books including the recently published “Gil Cristopher,” a novel about the difficulties associated with aging. He can be contacted at rodlee1963@gmail.com
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