New Look St. Thomas Opens for the School Year

It wasn’t exactly the way the had planned with the first day cancelled on Monday due to the effects of Hurricane Irene, but the parochiac school which serves 172 students in kindergarten through eighth-grade opened Tuesday without a hitch.

With renovations which included a newly designed parking lot, updated landscaping and brand new custom window coverings, students were treated to a new look school Tuesday which staff said helped energize them for the 2011-12 school year.

The school has also been undergoing several technology enhancements, which are designed to bring the school up-to-date and provide students the tools they need to succeed, said Robin Taillie, advancement director at the school.

“The technology enhancements are ongoing with SMART interactive computer boards installed in Mrs. Pelczar’s 7th grade classroom and in the 2nd floor computer lab,” Taillie said.

Not only has the school been making physical renovations, but the school is also working to improve in school lunch programs. Mary Pat Wirkus, principal of the St. Thomas School, has worked alongside Lunch Coordinator Michelle Porter and, the Southington restaurant providing hot lunch, to enhance the menu for “healthier choices.”

The school will open it’s pre-kindergarten program next week, according to school officials.

Two other parochial schools in Southington also opened their doors to students for a new school year Tuesday. and the welcomed children as all of the town’s kindergarten through grade 12 schools are now underway.