The James Logan Courier

Courier Staff Report

Students, as many as 3940 of them, flocked back to the James Logan campus Wednesday, for the start of the 2007-2008 school year, greeted by staff and scheduling difficulties.

Computer and printing problems led school administrators to abandon plans for teachers to hand out student schedules. Instead they set up distribution stations around campus. Principal Don Montoya announced the new process via email and the school's public address system minutes before the school day began.

All the school's buses were late due to traffic snarls resulting from a major accident, Montoya said.

"Today may be more challenging than we are used to...but working together we will accomplish all that needs to be accomplished and the quality education we provide at the Home of the Colts will begin."






The campus the students returned to has undergone several changes. The new two-story 300 building opened to students for the first time. The school's houses, in which the large student body is broken into smaller administrative groups, have been revamped and are now named after the four student class levels. However, signs indicating the changes have yet to be installed.

Incoming freshman have been grouped into still smaller groups, called Freshman Families, which are intended to provide more personal instruction.

Students had mixed feelings about the start of school and the end of summer vacation. "School was reallly good," said Joanna Bartolome, a sophomore, but it's "hard to find the new buildings like the 100's."

"It was okay, kinda boring. I liked the beginning of freshman year better, because everything was new to me," said Raven Jones, sophomore.

"It's kinda like chaos," Amy Liao, a sophomore.

"It's tiring," said junior Justin Yoshihara, "It's only fourth period and I already have two books to carry."

In an email to the New Haven staff district-wide, Superintendent Pat Jaurequi said, "Whether you’re a secretary, a food server or a classroom aide; a teacher, a counselor or an administrator, I hope you share that excitement today. Whether you’re a custodian, a gardener or a maintenance worker; a bus driver, a mechanic or a technology specialist, I hope you came to work this morning excited to know that this isn’t “just another day.” It’s the start of a “new season” -- a season of promise, purpose and possibility."


Debris from a broken tree limb
blocked pedestrian traffic along
H Street Friday.
Chris Smith/Courier PhotoMany teachers returned to school last week. The bulk of teachers of freshmen attended two days of training in the workings of the Freshman Families on August 20 and 21.

Many other teachers participated in the district's "Professional Learning Days," in which they received training in the workings of collaboration and worked on aligning their curricula to state educational standards.

Teachers attending the Friday session of the Professional Learning Days had to maneuver around a fallen branch from a pine tree along H Street adjacent to the 200s building. The branch broke off Thursday at about 3:30 p.m. and was removed by school maintenance workers Friday. Montoya said he expects that a tree service company to remove the rest of the tree.

Principal Montoya said it was fortunate that the massive branch fell when and where it did. Fortunately, he said, it fell harmlessly away from the adjacent school building. If it had happened this week instead of last, students may have been standing where the branch fell.

This year, Logan's student population is 51.47 percent pous and 48.53 percent girls.

Hispanics comprise the largest ethnic group on campus, with 28.22 percent. Next most numerous are Asians, with 24.77 percent, followed by Filipinos at 20.36 percent, Caucasians at 13.96 percent, African-Americans at 10.41 percent, Pacific Islanders at 1.93 percent and Native Americans at .36. percent.