5 Things to Know About Central School

Central School is home to about 340 students, and when the kids arrive Thursday, here are some of the changes they'll find you should know about:

You Need To Know About Central's New Princpal: After many years in Warren schools, Mary Lou Cebula retired at the end of the 2010-2011 school year. Filling her place in the principal's seat is Janet Milita, former principal in Hope Township School District.

But first, You Need To Know About Central's (Temporary) Principal: Milita has a few weeks left on her contract at Hope Township, and won't be available fulltime at the school. Helping to launch the new school year will be Harold Balckstone, retired former principal of Auten Road Intermediate School, in Hillsborough.

You Need To Know Who The Kids Will Miss: Three teachers will be out this year for family leaves: Basic Skills Teacher Laurie Green, Kindergarten Teacher Dana Tretola, and Special Education Teacher Jill Graef. Third-grade Teacher Patrick Rock also resigned.

And School Nurse Valerie Justice retired after 24 years at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.

You Need To KNow Who The Kids Will Meet: Mary Sfiris, ELL Teacher; Shayna Germansky, Special Education Teacher, Elementary Autism Class; and Lyndsay Butler, Grade 3 teacher, are new to the school this year.

You Need To Know Central Is Getting Solarized: Central is one of the district's schools slated for solar installations to save on utility costs. When finished, the school will have a 76 kW roof installation, and a 131 kW canopy system over the parking lot. 

Editor's note: As families gear up for Thursday's first day of the new school year, we'll be catching up on what's new in Warren schools this year. Tomorrow, we'll feature a listing of what's new at Mt. Horeb School (yesterday, we looked at what's new at Angelo L. Tomaso), as well as information about new policies and curriculum changes, and a daily video on some of the stranger school supplies requested.

We began the series Sunday with a look at the 21 new teachers at Watchung Hills Regional High School.

Others stories in the series are:

A look at the state of teacher contract negotiations in township schools.

Watchung Hills Regional's freshmen orientation Wednesday.

Parents get ready for school with annual school supply shopping.

Five things to know about Angelo L. Tomaso School.

Five things to know about Mt. Horeb School.

Five things to know about Woodland School.