The Botelle Beat

By Virginia Coleman-Prisco

As the days get shorter and fall approaches, Botelle Elementary School has been busy preparing for a new school year.

Principal Lauren Valentino is excited that “Botelle School is fully staffed and ready to welcome back students and families.” Three new staff members have been hired to replace teachers who have left, and a previous assistant is returning to Botelle as a classroom teacher. According to the chair of Board of Education, Ann DeCerbo, “Botelle is truly a big family, and it’s really hard when anyone leaves. We had several staff members leave to pursue new ventures. We will miss them.”

The three new hires are Ashleigh Buono as a school psychologist, Jen Spangle as an intermediate classroom teacher and learning specialist, and Dave Barrieau as an upper intermediate classroom teacher. Buono was hired last May and was able to meet families during year-end meetings. Spangle, known as “Ms. Jen” to her students, has 19 years of experience as a multi-age teaching and learning specialist in Norwich, Conn. She will provide additional leadership and support to all staff members regarding the multi-age instructional model present in all classrooms. Barrieau is coming to Norfolk after teaching in West Hartford for 17 years.

Holly Alexson is returning to Botelle as the early primary classroom teacher after being an instructional assistant for many years. Alexson says she is “ridiculously excited to have my own classroom and coming back to where I belong. It’s the next logical step in my career.” She is looking forward to “implementing teaching strategies that I’ve seen from various teachers over the years.”Alexson is a longtime Norfolk resident and graduated Botelle in 2008. “It’s a second home to me and our students,” she says.

Many expert teachers and staff are returning for the year. Debbie Tallon is returning to the primary grades. Mary Krusch will teach all the music curriculum for K-6, taking over chorus after the previous teacher retired. All other specialists and support staff remain the same for the coming school year, including the return of Botelle legend Richard Byrne.

Valentino is eager for the students to experience the new sensory room and hallway paths. In 2020 Botelle was awarded a $10,000 grant from Norfolk’s AKC Foundation for a sensory room. After delays due to Covid, the room and hallway paths are ready for students to use this year. The goal of the sensory room is to provide a space to help the students calm and focus themselves so they can be better prepared for learning and interacting with others. A sensory path is a series of guided movements along the floors and walls of the hallways for the students to follow. As students follow and complete the movements, they work off stored-up energy and develop their gross motor skills.

Other academic plans include the staff working with a specialist from Ed Advance on curriculum and literacy initiatives, as well as continuing the personal interest projects with the upper intermediate class and the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum in K-6.

The Botelle Board of Education and PTO are also ready to welcome students and families back to school. The PTO is hosting the annual ice cream social on Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. on the big field. All Norfolk community members are welcome to join. Board of Education meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m., both in person at Botelle and virtually. The Zoom links are available on Botelle’s website, as is all other relevant school information.