Superintendent’s Conference readies school, staff for new year
Chester. School district faculty and staff spent the day before school officially began for students preparing to welcome them back.
| 09 Sep 2025 | 11:29
Angela Pskowski, who teaches first grade teacher at Chester Elementary School, welcomes students to class. Photo provided
T’was the day before school and all through the district, faculty and staff prepared their classrooms to welcome in students as the Chester Union Free School District geared up for the new school year during Superintendent’s Conference Day on Sept. 2.
The morning began with a greeting from Superintendent Catherine O’Hara who spoke about the impact staff make in the lives of students with the mantra for the school year.
“There’s always a special energy in the air on opening day, and it’s a perfect moment to give a heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you,” O’Hara said. “This year we’re centered on three simple but powerful words that capture who we are and how we work together: purpose, passion and pride.”
Chester Academy principal John Flanagan and Chester Elementary School principal Mary Kate Boesch then stood at the podium to introduce new staff, sharing background information and fun facts about each person.
O’Hara recognized employees who have reached significant milestones, such as working in the district for 10, 15, 20 and 25 years. She also discussed goals, objectives and highlights for the year, touching on the status of the Safety Capital Project and numerous upgrades across all facilities.
Daniel Svarczkopf, Director of Data & Technology Management and Data Protection Officer presented about Synergy, a new program that will be utilized by staff to track attendance, assignments, test grades and more. Svarczkopf took the time to show employees how to navigate the system and answer questions.
Faculty and staff also learned about additional technology updates, such as Parent Square communication and Aristotle - another platform to help staff with classroom management and incident reporting.
The day continued with a safety presentation from Director of Facilities Matthew DeRosa, who highlighted the protocol for safety drills and important updates for staff regarding their IDs.
School principals went over topics relevant to their schools, such as the new state-mandated bell-to-bell restrictions on personal device use that will be enforced at Chester Academy.
“I’ll be honest, I love what I do and I hope you all love what you do,” Flanagan said. “It is a great profession. We have a profound impact on kids, and, you know, that’s an awesome responsibility.”
The afternoon concluded with teachers preparing their classrooms to welcome students for the first day of school. They also spent time working on professional development and other training, such as mental health awareness.