Schools
New Pell Elementary School Opens Thursday
The new Pell School opens its doors to students for the first time Thursday morning.
Bells will usher elementary students into classrooms for the first time Thursday morning, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
"Tomorrow is going to be one exciting day on Dexter Street," said Newport Mayor Harry Winthrop at the ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.
He added the level of teacher enthusiasm was beyond what he expected to see when he toured the school earlier in the week. .
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The new 890-student school allows Newport elementary students to study under the same roof. In recent years, the students were spread out among four schools.
The school is named after the late U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell of Newport, who was remembered for his dedication to education and the Pell Grant program.
At his funeral, former President Bill Clinton said that Pell “cared about people, who, unlike him, could not afford to go to college without a little help from their government.”
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When Pell died on Jan. 1, 2009, the Newport School Committee received approval to bring the $30-million bond proposal before the state Department of Education.
Do you have pictures of your student's first day at Pell School? Send them to newport@patch.com and we feature them on Patch!
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