Central Trail Elementary students get oriented

Inaugural orientation saw smiling staff, parents, and students.

During orientation, Madison Taylor, 9, left, searches for Poland while Ava Fighter, 7, center, and her sister Olivia, 3, right, pin on the location from which their family hales.

The Blade/Katie Rausch
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Principal Angela Schaal, center, works with staff members, parents and students during orientation.

The new Central Trail Elementary School principal, Angie Schaal, greeted parents and smiling students at the check-in table as they filed into the school lobby.

Mrs. Schaal and other school staff and volunteers Tuesday helped to pull off the school's first orientation, which was held along with the other six elementary schools in the Sylvania School District.

“We had a really good turnout,” Mrs. Schaal said, adding that about 75 percent of this year’s 570 students attended the inaugural event held before an Open House and the first day of school, Aug. 22, for grades first to ninth.

PHOTO GALLERY: Central Trail Elementary Orientation Day

Parents were given a packet of documents on the last day of school. They brought the papers on Tuesday, and also took time to stop at different stations to find bus information, school lunch details, and other programs.

OBJECTThis is Mrs. Schaal’s first year as the principal, taking the lead after Toni Gerber retired in june from her 29-year teaching career -- 24 of those years serving as the principal of the elementary school.

“I’ve been doing a lot during the summer to get to know the families and teachers of the school,” she said, including preparing staff for when the children are back in the building.

Mrs. Schaal said she has been in contact with Mrs. Gerber to assist in a smooth transition. So far she said she doesn’t plan on making any changes to the school operations or curriculum.

“No changes yet. A good rule of thumb is to see how things work first, and then make changes where it will make the best impact for the children,” she said.

Behind the table where she was working was the school gym where 6-year-old Sylvania resident Sydahleigh Barnhart just got her photo taken. Several photographers were lined up against the wall, taking photos and then allowing parents to take a peek at the shot on a small screen.

Mark Curtis, 10, flashes a joking grin as he poses for a school picture during orientation.

“I think it’s wonderful getting this all done in advance,” Theresa Barnhart, Sydahleigh’s mom, said about filling out and filing the documents before school starts.

But most of all she said she was happy that her child was allowed to have the school photograph taken on a day off.

“It always seems like they have gym right before they take the school photo,” she said. This time there were no sweaty red-cheeked kids. Rather parents smoothed out their child’s hair, put on that last touch of lip gloss, and stood on the sidelines encouraging a smile from the photographed student.

For a complete list of scheduled orientations, necessary school supplies, and Open Houses scheduled throughout the Sylvania School District, go to its website.

Contact Natalie Trusso Cafarello at: 419-206-0356 or ntrusso@theblade.com.