Burrell's Project Discover orientation revamped following district reconfiguration

Burrell School District will undergo some changes this year, and that means its annual, Project Discover orientation will look a little different, too.

“We want to make it more engaging and interactive to start the school year and, hopefully, we continue to engage (students and families) throughout the school year,” said Krista Pisano, assistant principal of Charles A. Huston Middle School.

Because Stewart Elementary School is now closed, fourth grade students will now attend Bon Air Elementary and fifth grade students will go to Charles A. Huston Middle School.

Project Discover will be at the district’s three buildings — Bon Air, Huston and Burrell High School — over three days at the end of August, before the start of the school year. Burrell’s first day of school for students is Sept. 2.

Pisano said the events are tailgate-themed and will include food trucks, yard games and other activities. They will give students and families the chance to connect with outside resources, such as the Student Assistance Program, and meet teachers and peers while touring the buildings.

“It’s a different way to have fun and connect with families in a less structured way,” Pisano said.

At Pisano’s building, staff and faculty will be welcoming two new grades, fifth and sixth, to the building as opposed to traditionally just one. She also hopes seventh and eighth grade students and families take the opportunity to learn about the building layout and schedules, which changed due to the district’s realignment.

“We knew our orientation needed to be bigger or include more,” she said. “We do feel it’s such a great opportunity to bring everyone in, and hopefully we can use this unique opportunity to get people engaged and move forward to keep them engaged.”

At Huston, new students — which include those fifth and sixth graders, as well as new transfers to the building — can start at Project Discover a half-hour earlier for a presentation by building administrators.

“They’ll get to really understand the parts of the building, and the changes they’ll be experiencing,” Pisano said.

Information will also be available for students and families to learn how to work their school accounts more effectively, Pisano said.

“We’re really hoping if they have questions or concerns, they can start the school year knowing and feeling more confident,” she said.

Her goal of the revamped Project Discover is for a stronger relationship and communication between the school district and students and families.

“At previous orientations and Project Discovers, a lot of people felt they didn’t know what the purpose was, or the communication about events was not strong enough,” she said. “A lot of people did not like that Project Discover was happening during the school year.

“I want every kid and every family to feel confident and excited for the year, even if it’s just putting a face to a name, so they know they can reach out if they need something,” Pisano said.