Nerves, excitement at Wareham Middle School open house

Aug 23, 2018

While summer vacation is slipping away, the halls of Wareham Middle School were bustling with nervous, excited and curious fifth graders on Thursday evening.

Faculty, staff and administrators welcomed the incoming fifth graders during an open house held just for them. The students are making the jump from Decas Elementary School. All Wareham Public Schools students return to classes on Wednesday, Aug. 29. Teachers return to school the day before.

In addition to the fifth graders, Minot Forest School students will be arriving in the building housed in their own, separate wing. Those students, consisting of third and fourth graders, were moved after Minot was closed as a cost saving measure earlier this year.

School officials are currently in the process of designing a new school. Funding the school would require approval of a ballot question at October Town Meeting. If approved, the ballot question would go before Wareham voters during the state’s Nov. 6 election in the form of a debt exclusion. The debt exclusion would raise taxes on residents to pay for the project for the life of the debt to fund the school, if approved.

On Thursday, though, students and families were focused on finding classrooms, lockers and easing what will likely be first day jitters.

Wareham Middle School Interim Principal Tracie Cote said the school’s auditorium was filled to capacity for a welcome presentation. She said common questions and concerns centered around transportation and a different class schedule compared to the elementary school.

“We’ve had a great turnout and answered a lot of questions tonight,” she said. “We’re really looking forward to the first day and we hope a lot of students are too, after tonight.”