School is Back in Session in Smyrna-Vinings

For the majority of students in Cobb County today is their first day back in class. And some Smyrna-Vinings students will be greeted with some big changes.

New Faces

Several Smyrna-Vinings’ administrators took new positions over the summer, many within the Cobb County School District, though some left altogether.

At the elementary level:

• Assistant Principal Sharon Arduino is now the principal at Chalker Elementary School in Kennesaw.
• Principal Mitchel Bivens was named principal of Lindley Middle School in Mableton after Dr. Sandra Ervin retired.
• Principal Terry Floyd
• Belmont Hills Assistant Principal Stacey Abbot is .
• Nancy Depitrillo retired as principal of in May. Peter Manson, formerly an assistant principal at Kemp Elementary in Powder Springs has taken her place as principal.

At the middle school level:

• Dr. Mark Trachtenboit was named principal of
• Former Wheeler High School teacher Nathan Stark was named an assistant administrator at Griffin Middle School.

At the high school level:

• Assistant Principal Angela Crisler was reassigned as assistant principal at Hightower Middle School.
• Her colleague, Assistant Principal Audra Saunders, resigned from the Cobb County School District and is now assistant principal at Cartersville High School.
• Campbell Assistant Principal Richard Tischler also resigned from the Cobb County School District.
• Former South Cobb High School teacher Kristopher Watkins is now a teacher/assistant administrator at Campbell High School.
• Former Kennesaw Mountain High School teachers Amie Howard and Caroline O’Connor were named teachers/assistant administrators at Campbell as well.

New Look

Things will look different for Russell Elementary School students. Over the summer their school received a SPLOST-funded facelift with renovations that included a new sprinkler system, playground and courtyard.

The Cobb County School District’s SPLOST website reported that received kitchen modifications, an enclosed walkway between the gym and main school building and a canopy for drop-off and pick-up. 

Argyle’s students will look different today as well. Monday is the first . Students will be required to wear solid-colored collared shirts in blue, yellow, red, gray, purple or white and navy or khaki pants, shorts, jumpers or skirts.

started school last Monday and for many students it was their first chance to see their renovated school. Over the summer contractors renovated the school’s second floor to allow for more classrooms, an art room, band room and a large multipurpose room for school assemblies. The building, which was formerly a Rich’s department store, also got a new façade.

Griffin Middle School’s cafeteria got a new loading dock, new auditorium seating and a new casework in the media center.

Over the summer construction began at Campbell Middle School, though it won’t be completed till next summer. The school will get a new band room, orchestra and chorus rooms and the existing music rooms will be modified into standard classrooms. For more information about the district’s SPLOST projects, visit the Cobb County School District’s website.

Whitefield Academy has also had some work done. School officials will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon for the new 42,000-square-foot upper school building called Morris Hall.  

Looking to get the most out of this school year? Plus read more about the new Smyrna-Vinings school year in Back to School Guide.