Back to School: Vinson-Owen to Open Doors for the Last Time

It's something that will take some time to get used to. It has crossed Anne Crowley's mind a couple of times over the past week.

The second grade teacher, who's entering her 10th year at Vinson-Owen, knows this year may be a little harder to start than years past. But that is the case for a number of teachers and families that are involved in the school.

If all goes according to plan, Winchester will begin to update the Parkhurst School during the winter, and have it completed in time for next September. The Vinson-Owen students would then attend Parkhurst, while the town begins the construction of the new Vinson-Owen school.

That's something that Crowley tries not to think about.

"I'm sure the new school is going to be great," Crowley said. "It's weird though, this is like an extended family right now. You know all the kids and the families and they know the staff. I have trouble visualizing what the new school would look like. It my mind it will look exactly the same, just with newer walls. But, I am looking forward to working in a 21st century school."

In the five decades that the building has been in place, it has seen little change, until of course, next September when it will begin to be torn down.

"There's been a lot of changes in the staff over the years," said Principal Guido Sabelli who is entering his 19th year as principal of the school. "The school itself hasn't changed over the years. The thing with this school is that it has a very strong culture. People have a lot of pride in this school."

Sabelli will be retiring at the end of the month. He decided to start the new year, instead of retiring in June, to help ease the school district in transitioning to a new principal, especially with three new principals starting this year already.

"I'll miss the kids, teachers, everyone on staff and the parents," Sabelli said. "But I feel as though this will help the school ease into the new school year."

Even though leaving a building she's been in for the last decade, Crowley is still excited about the possibilities of what a new school can bring.

"I'm looking forward to having access to state-of-the-art technology," Crowley said. "We'll have wireless, and we will have much more child-friendly technology. The current computer configuration isn't as good because of the age of the building and the wiring. So, that should be real exciting with the new building."

Like a number of teachers and families who have spent their share of time at the school, it will still be difficult to start work in a new building next year.

"I think it will be tough," Crowley said of leaving the building. "You feel sentimental to the building. There's a close bond between the staff and the parents, especially being a neighborhood school. It's going to be tough to leave that building behind."