When students return to classrooms across North Haven, they will benefit from changes and expanded programs implemented in local public schools.

At North Haven High School (NHHS), Principal Dr. Russell Dallai and his staff have already worked to prepare incoming freshman, new additions to a student body which totals just under 1,200.

“We had our new student orientation on Aug. 23,” Dallai said. “That went great. We got to meet all our new students and their families. We had an assembly in the theater in which we shared information about the school to help familiarize them and put them at ease. It’s a real big transition from middle to high school.”

“We held tours of the building so the new freshmen could see the different rooms and departments and get a feel for the school,” he added. “Then we had a social get-together afterward, and we let the kids and their families ask any questions they had.”

Objectives for NHHS in 2011 include an even greater focus on data-driven decision-making, where pupils’ performances in highly-structured curriculum are tracked intricately, so that teacher teams can craft detailed improvement plans to assist kids’ future learning.

“We will be devoting a lot of time to these data teams, working on behalf of student achievement,” Dallai said.

Certain employee teams, or task forces, will focus on seniors whose poor grades potentially could prevent them from collecting diplomas. “Our graduation task force did very well last year,” Dallai said. “We have a good group of teachers, counselors and teachers who worked very closely with seniors who were in danger of not graduating.”

Other NHHS adjustments will be in line with Connecticut legislators’ summer passage of better-defined anti-bullying and cyber-bullying laws, which seek secure school climates devoid of student-to-student intimidation. “This year, we will have a new school climate change initiative,” Dallai said. “Our climate was something we were already proud of. But we got a grant to help us formulate a climate committee to enhance our climate to matchup better with new state regulations.”

Utilized as a shelter during Hurricane Irene, NHHS emerged unscathed from last week’s stormy weather. “We got very lucky,” Dallai said. “We didn’t even lose power here.”

Teachers and administrators returned to NHHS the day after Irene struck. “We got in for some last-minute tune ups,” Dallai said.

Heightened focus on data-driven decisions, joined with comprehensive curriculum, is also a goal for the 2011-12 scholastic year at North Haven Middle School (NHMS). “This will be the first year where we will input our rewritten curriculum in all four core classes,” said Principal Phillip Piazza. “I’m excited about that.”

North Haven’s recent district-wide shift in curriculum and data first began at NHMS two and a half years ago.

NHMS had yet to receive results from a 2010 accreditation. “We’re still waiting on that,” Piazza said. “That will help us moving forward.”

At Clintonville Elementary School, years of efforts to rebuild a dilapidated and often-flooded playground will culminate in 2011. “The companies and the town employees who are working on the playground have worked together well to make sure that this playground has come together,” said Principal Lauretta Dowling.

If not ready for opening day, Clintonville’s playground will be finished soon after. “Right now it’s being graded and seeded,” Dowling said Aug. 29. “All the play equipment is in. We’re still waiting for fencing for the kindergarten area.”

Additional changes for Clintonville in 2011 include a new large projection screen for the auditorium, to assist all-building assemblies. Despite harsh weather in recent weeks, Clintonville will be ready for the first day of classes, Sept. 1

“We’ve been working all summer and everything is all set up,” she said. “We are doing very well, even with an earthquake a hurricane, we’re in good shape.”