When students walked into Easton schools on Sept. 6, the day after Labor Day, school administrators said it was as if they had never left. "We had a very smooth opening," Superintendent Michael Green said at a school committee meeting last week. The first day of school was smooth despite the after-effects of Hurricane Irene, Green said, which left all of the buildings except Center School without power just one day before opening. Luckily, power was restored in the nick of time. Green said he and Assistant Superintendent Cathy MacLeod went to each of the seven schools in the district on the …

Each September, Oliver Ames High School Principal Wes Paul gathers his seniors at Frothingham Park for a senior field day - the place where, in just nine short months, those same students will be receiving diplomas. Students enjoy the day and a cookout, and then take a senior class picture. "I tell them 'you guys owe it to eachother to make sure you're all present for graduation,'" Paul said. "It kind of sets the tone for the seniors about where things are heading." Paul said this year's senior class - the class of 2012 - is full of great students, athletes, and people with deep friendships. …

When Easton Middle School Principal John Giuggio addressed a group of fresh-faced sixth graders Thursday at their orientation, he was well-aware of just how many students he was talking to. "We have the largest sixth grade in the building that we’ve had in a long time," he said. "345 kids in grade six. That’s quite a large number. We have a total of 947 students in the school." While the number seems large, Giuggio said he is well adapted to dealing with sixth grade students and teachers. The school is now in it's third year of being a "middle school" as opposed to "junior high." Now in his …

With the school-year starting this week, H.H. Richardson Principal Donna Tobin and F.L. Olmsted Principal Gary Mazzola are looking forward to another year with offices located just a few steps down the hall. "It provides more opportunities to have a colleague close by," Mazzola said. "It can be an isolating job, so it is nice to have another person that you can bounce ideas off or monitor issues with." Most importantly, both Tobin, who begins her second year, and Mazzolla, who begins his eighth year, agree that the two schools need to be on the same page academically. "We spent a lot of time …

If you've ever walked into Easton's Center School, it is hard not to notice the tight quarters. The gymnasium is also home to the cafeteria and music rooms. Offices double as conference rooms and teachers end up sharing many of their resources. For Principal Debra DiCenso, though, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. "We’ve learned to be in each other’s spaces and we’ve learned to team up," she said. "It’s a real team mentality here. The teachers are amazing – very kind, caring and invested people. It’s a warm place – very nurturing." DiCenso has had some time to get used to the school's …

Since taking over last year for Bob Smith, who served as Moreau Hall's principal for 13 years, Nick Botelho has worked to bring a "freshness" to the elementary school that it hadn't seen in quite some time. More importantly, he is just happy to be a member of the "Moreau Hall Family." "It didn’t take long to become a member of the family," he said. "Everyone definitely welcomed me with open arms. For me, it was all brand new." Now fully acclimated, the former Framingham grades 4 and 5 teacher hopes to continue to bring new ideas while leading the educational and learning process. "I can focus…

If you step into Parkview Elementary School this fall and hear 1960's music rocking through the PA system or see some alumni from Parkview's past, don't worry. You haven't taken a time machine back 50 years. In celebration of the school's 50th anniversary, Parkview Principal Chris Getchell thought taking a step back through time would be fitting. The school was established in 1961. "We’ve divided the year into decades, so we’re starting the year celebrating the 1960’s," he said. "There’ll be ‘60s music in the morning to get things going, and there’s a ‘60’s assembly on Oct. 14. At that …