By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The clock is ticking before summer vacation ends and a new school year begins.
Students in grades 1-12 will be returning to the classroom on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Kindergarten orientation will take place on Thursday, Aug. 28. An early release day for grades K-12 will occur on Friday, Aug. 29.
While students and families are enjoying the remaining days of summer, school officials, teachers and staff members have been spending this week making sure everything is ready to rock and roll for students’ return on Aug. 27. Custodians have been making a final push to make sure all four schools are in pristine condition when students return.
“As we begin the 2025-2026 school year, I want to welcome all Lynnfield students, families and staff back to our schools,” said Superintendent Tom Geary in an email sent to the Villager. “We’re excited to build on our tradition of academic excellence while continuing to support the well-being and growth of every student. We also want to move the district forward with a renewed sense of unity, collaboration and community pride. As we proceed through the year together, our principals and I welcome open communication and feedback from our community to ensure that we are continuing to instill a positive culture in our schools.”
Freshmen Orientation will be held at Lynnfield High School on Monday, Aug. 25. Lynnfield Middle School’s fifth grade Locker Night will be held on Monday, Aug. 25.
“We are excited about both of those programs,” said Geary during the School Committee’s Aug. 14 meeting. “We really feel like they put students and their families in a good first step in their new school.”
The middle school’s annual open house will be held on Thursday, Aug. 28. Lynnfield Preschool’s orientation will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 2, and the first day for preschool students will be Wednesday, Sept. 3.
Both elementary schools and the preschool will be holding open houses on Thursday, Sept. 4. The high school will be holding its open house on Thursday, Sept. 11.
Geary said the School Department has hired 13 new staff members for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“We are fully hired with teachers, which is great,” said Geary. “All four schools have at least one new staff member and others have more.”
In addition to the 13 new staff members, the district is welcoming new Student Services Director Jennifer O’Connell as the new leader of the special education department. She worked for Winthrop Public Schools for 22 years before becoming Student Services director.
O’Connell previously served as Winthrop’s pupil personnel services director from August 2013-June 2025. She also served as Arthur T. Cummings Elementary School’s assistant principal from February 2012 to July 2013. O’Connell also worked as a supervising clinician, speech language pathologist and Section 504 Plan coordinator in Winthrop.
Lynnfield High Principal Patricia Puglisi informed the Villager that four teachers and two paraprofessionals will be joining the faculty this year, including chemistry teacher David Gorestki.
“Mr. Gorestki received his undergraduate degree from Williams College,” said Puglisi. “He completed his master of science degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Gorestki most recently taught chemistry at the Cambridge School of Weston.”
Puglisi said Olivia Dell Isola has joined the English Department for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“Ms. Dell Isola received her undergraduate degree from Roger Williams College in English/Secondary Education,” said Puglisi. “She also completed her masters in teaching program at Merrimack College. Ms. Dell Isola is a Lynnfield High School graduate. She has taught English at both Masconomet Regional High School and Marblehead High School.”
Puglisi said Mikayla Cusack is a new French teacher at LHS.
“Ms. Cusack earned her undergraduate degree in French Education, as well as French and Francophone Studies from the University of Connecticut,” said Puglisi. “She completed her master of arts in Curriculum and Instruction, also from the University of Connecticut. Ms. Cusack completed her teaching internship at Glastonbury Public Schools in Connecticut.”
Puglisi said Delanie Wight will be serving as a long-term substitute math teacher.
“Ms. Wight earned her bachelor of arts in Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and Southern New Hampshire University,” said Puglisi. “She is currently enrolled in a masters of education program at Merrimack College.”
Puglisi also said paraprofessionals Jackie Duratti and Darla DaSilva will be working in the Student Services Department.
Five new staff members have joined the Lynnfield Middle School faculty this year. Trenton DeBonis will be teaching English. Anna Hunt will be serving as a school psychologist. Rebecca Kelley will be teaching French. Caileen Moran is the newest member of the LMS Math Department. Lisa Saraceno will be working in the middle school’s Differentiated Learning Program (DLP).
Summer Street School is welcoming three new educators for the 2025-2026 academic year. Nicole Moore will be teaching first grade. Katelyn Carroll and Brooke Todhunter will both be teaching fourth grade.
Huckleberry Hill School has welcomed one new educator this year, with Megan Patten joining the faculty as a special education teacher.
In the wake of voters approving the $4,650,000 Proposition 2 ½ override last June, Geary recalled that $650,000 included in the override is being used to update the district’s technology infrastructure and hardware.
“The Technology Department has really hit the ground running this summer,” said Geary during the School Committee’s Aug. 14 meeting. “We have laptops being distributed. We have student Chromebooks all set to go. There has been a ton of access point wiring that has been done. We really feel good about where the schools are in terms of wireless. Thirty something Smart Boards were also installed. The Tech Department has really set our students and staff up to be in a good spot.”
Geary thanked the community for supporting the $4.65 million override.
“We appreciate the funding that the town and the residents voted to support for us, and we are putting it into place over the summer,” said Geary.
School Committee member Jamie Hayman noted that his cellphone worked in the LHS auditorium this summer while he was attending a show. The high school’s Wi-Fi needed to be upgraded for a long time.
“I was very pleasantly surprised,” said Hayman.
Geary concurred with Hayman’s viewpoint.
“That is evidence the work is getting done and the money is being well spent,” said Geary.
Puglisi said the high school will be “focusing on the implementation of the Vision of the Graduate.”
“This will include an explicit focus on the development of key skills students will need to find post-secondary success,” said Puglisi.
Principal Stephen Ralston said the middle school is “excited to roll out our revamped Advisory (program), now called Core Values Community.”
“All principals will be sharing/presenting our school improvement plans to School Committee on Sept. 10,” said Ralston. “That will lay out our bigger picture plans for the year.”