The first day of school is nearly here and all four principals in the Cinnaminson School District said they are ready for students.

This year, the district boasts a “high performance school district” rating from the Quality Single Accountability Continuum, a monitoring and evaluation system for public school districts sponsored by the state’s department of education.

Fresh off being named the second best high school in Burlington County according to New Jersey Monthly magazine, Cinnaminson High School and its principal Darlene Llewellyn are ready for another year.

“We were also 114 out of all 328 schools,” Llewellyn said, “which is tremendous. It’s nice because [we were rated] on things that we’ve been working on at the high school.”

There’s one new teacher in the English department for the 2012-13 school year replacing Judith Brangan, a longtime district teacher who retired at the end of the last school year.

Students will also see some updates in the library. New carpets were installed and there’s a whole new layout and floor plan, as well as new tinted windows.

Llewellyn also announced a new AP Spanish class this year.

On the sports side, the board of education approved to fund an assistant coach for the community-sponsored boys’ lacrosse team.

Middle School

Students will be welcomed with a new bell schedule that shortens lunch this year by 10 minutes. Principal Frank Goulburn said now, the middle school is more aligned with the high school.

Students will also spend more time in their related arts classes rather than in an advisory period at the end of the day.

“Foods, computers, art, music—many kids take that with them for the rest of their lives,” Goulburn said. “It’s important those things get a decent amount of time as well.”

The sixth-graders this year will get a sampling of both French and Spanish before choosing which language to take in seventh grade, the principal said.

On the facilities end, the gymnasium floor was refinished.

The middle school also hired a guidance counselor, a French teacher and a special education teacher.

“We have all our staff in place, scheduled are printed and we’ll be ready to go, and look forward to opening up to the kids,” Goulburn said.

Eleanor Rush Intermediate School

At Rush School, Principal Deborah Banecker said the school was awarded a grant from Rutgers University that will be used for assemblies, books and programs that help to improve the character of students and the schools.

“We have a very nice climate in the school as it is,” she said. “This is to make it better.”

Another new addition is fifth-grader bus safeties. Certain students who are chosen by teachers will be trained with school guidance counselors to monitor the younger students on their buses.

“They are also going to make sure to remind kids to have their seat belts on and if they notice anything, they will let the counselor and me know,” Banecker said.

The school will also hold its yearly 9/11 memorial ceremony where the students talk about the events, sing patriotic songs and release butterflies.

“I’m always looking forward to the first day of school,” Banecker said. “I obviously chose the profession that was right for me.”

New Albany Elementary School

Principal John Layden said he’s ready to welcome 516 students to the elementary school this Wednesday. The kindergartners already got a taste of what they are in store for after the school’s very first kindergarten orientation last week. Students and parents met office staff, the nurse, teachers, aides and more.

The transportation department presented a program on bus safety too.

“Our newest students met their kindergarten teachers who escorted them to their classrooms to complete a fun project,” Layden said.

The first day of school is Wednesday, Sept. 5. To see the district’s calendar with important dates highlighted, click here.

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