New School Year, New School Superintendent for Lyme-Old Lyme

in the middle of the summer recess. Now school has been back in session for two weeks and he's had a chance to get his feet wet, it seemed a good time to ask what's in store for the district this year, next year, and over the next five years. 

Patch: Coming into the district with fresh eyes, what do you see as the district's biggest strengths? 

Ian Neviaser: We are very fortunate to have strong support from the community. Evidence of this, and the towns’ high regard for the education of their youth, can be seen in the exceptional quality of the staff, the commitment to maintenance of the facilities, and the interest in school activities and events.

Patch: What are some of the challenges the district faces? 

Ian Neviaser: Like many districts across the state of Connecticut and the nation, we are facing declining student enrollment coupled with reduced funding from the state and federal governments.  In an era of new more rigorous standards, the efforts of all members of our community and our staff will be required to ensure we exceed the college and career readiness standard of the CCSS [Common Core State Standards] for each student prior to their graduation from LOLHS.

Patch: What are the things that you're most excited about seeing happen this school year? 

Ian Neviaser: There are a number of new and exciting initiatives taking place this year. These include, in no particular order, the completion of the renovation at LOLHS, the implementation of our new math program that is aligned to the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and a number of new technology initiatives including Smartboards, laptops, and wireless environments.

Patch: What are some of your top priorities for this year? 

Ian Neviaser: In addition to the items included in the response above, we will also begin the renewal of the PK-12 English Language Arts (ELA) program to ensure alignment with the CCSS, continue to evaluate our implementation of the redistricting plan, and engage in a process for ongoing strategic planning. We will also continue to prepare for our upcoming accreditation visit for LOLHS through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Patch: Spinning forward, what are some of the things you'd like to see happen in the school district over the next five years? 

I want to be able to guarantee to each incoming Kindergarten parent that their student will graduate from LOLHS with the skills and knowledge to be successful in the 21^st century and beyond. 

If you like what you see, Like the Lymes Patch on Facebook!