Despite Tuesday morning’s wet weather, students and parents were up and out early for the first day of school. “I don’t want to see him go. I’ll miss his company,” said Tracy Mullen of her son Christopher DeCosta. The two were waiting on Main Street in Warren for the school bus to pick up a small group of rain-drenched kids and deliver them to Hugh Cole School. DeCosta, like many of the other students, was excited to see who was going to be in his fourth grade class. “But I think I know everybody,” he said. DeCosta’s buddy, Drew Maynard, was also happy to start fourth grade. He had heard his …

Sending a child off to school every fall can be a tough transition for many parents. But the parents of  Colt Andrews School's kindergarten students received a little reassurance Tuesday morning during a "Boo-Hoo Breakfast."  After dodging the morning rain and ushering children to their classrooms, watery-eyed parents gathered in the multipurpose room in Andrews School to let out their first day of school sobs. Other parents and faculty members were there to lend support. Jen Davies held her composure after dropping her daughter off at her classroom. Then she began talking about what the …

Take a look through these photos submitted by some prominent people in our area and see if you can recognize their young faces. After you are done looking, take a stroll down memory lane and submit your own photos. Do you remember your first day of Kindergarten? Getting your first car in High School? Your first time falling in love? The first time you bunked class? Well take a moment to share your photos and memories of your school days!

To school students, the middle of August traditionally means a new school year is just on the horizon. To athletes, it means the fall season has begun or is about to start. Last week at Mt. Hope High School, the Huskies’ football team commenced preparations for its 2011 season, harboring aspirations of improving on last year’s 4-3 record against Division III opponents. Coach Ron Silva, launching his fifth season at Mt. Hope’s helm, greeted 70 players in grades 9 through 12 during this week’s two-a-day sessions, which essentially consisted of conditioning and introductory techniques. According…

Students in Bristol and Warren still have a few precious days before the start of school, but already some are starting to give thought to the year to come. Patch recently caught up with the rising seniors of Mt. Hope High School, who gathered last week for a little fun at the annual "Painting of the Rocks." While many said they're excited for their final year as the Class of 2012, some admitted they're also already feeling nostalgic. Watch the video above to hear some of their thoughts.

While their schoolmates are likely enjoying their final full week of summer vacation on a beach, in a pool or just chilling out, athletes at Mt. Hope High School are expending considerable time, effort and sweat this week in preparation for their fall 2011 schedules. The Huskies’ football team commenced its preseason preparations last week and is currently in its first full week of full-contact workouts. Meanwhile the boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer, girls’ tennis, boys’ cross-country, girls’ cross-country, girls’ volleyball and cheerleading squads all launched their preseason schedules Monday, …

There's just one week left until the first day of school, which means it is time to start arranging those school-day schedules. See below for the schedule of school start times and links to the back to school bus schedules for public and private schools in our area. School Start Time Dismissal Time Bus Schedule Link (IN) Bus Schedule Link (OUT) Mt. Hope High School 8:00am 2:30pm Inbound Outbound Kickemuit Middle School 7:45am 2:00pm Inbound Outbound Rockwell Elementary School 8:55am 3:25pm Inbound Outbound Colt Andrews Elementary School 8:55am 3:25pm Inbound Outbound Hugh Cole Elementary …

No need to travel very far or stand in long lines at big department stores for your back to school needs. With deals like these you can get all your back to school shopping done in town at a great price. CVS, 400 Metacom Ave, Bristol or 615 Metacom Ave, WarrenDeal: Caliber 2 pocket folders 3/$1 with card Good Through:  August 27 Benny’s, 665 Metacom Ave, BristolDeal: Sharpie Highlighters 2 Pk $1Good through: August 27 Family Dollar, 601 Metacom Ave, Warren or 1150 Hope St, BristolDeal: Unison Presentation Binder 2 Pockets $2Good through:  August 27 Walgreens, 591 Metacom Ave, BristolDeal: 3 …

School may be starting in just a couple of weeks, but some parents may already be planning a spring family getaway. To help you, we've attached the official 2011-2012 Bristol Warren School District calendar. See the attached .pdf to start planning your family trips and school days off now! 

It's a tradition going back decades. Each year before the start of school, Mt. Hope High's incoming seniors gather for "Painting of the Rocks," a messy, but fun, activity that lets the teens paint their names and other greetings on the rocks to the left of the main building. On Thursday afternoon, Mt. Hope's Class of 2012 got its chance to make a mark. The students spent about half an hour painting up the rocks, but also one another. Many of the students were nearly covered in white paint by the end of the event. Mt. Hope Dean of Students Nat Squatrito said the school first spends a day …

We know that back to school shopping can be stressful and expensive, especially if you have children in different schools and grade levels. To make things a bit easier, we have compiled the lists from the schools in Bristol and Warren to provide you with a one-stop location to make your back-to-school shopping a breeze.  Looking for Mt. Hope High School and Kickemuit Middle School supply lists? Click here.  Colt Andrews Elementary School See the attached .pdf for the full list of grade-specific class supplies at Colt Andrews.  In addition to the specified supplies for each grade, students are…

Two new changes at Mt. Hope High School could be a rude awakening to students who are habitually late for homeroom and students who see In School Suspension (ISS) as a slap on the wrist for disciplinary punishment.  Though school will start and end at the same times as last year, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the school has decided to "borrow an idea" from other Rhode Island schools to deter habitually late students. School officials at Mt. Hope, like other schools around the state, have decided to move the homeroom period from first thing in the morning to in between first and second period.  "Some …

We know that back to school shopping can be stressful and expensive, especially if you have children in different schools and grade levels. To make things a bit easier, we compiled the lists from the schools in Bristol and Warren to provide you with a one-stop location to make your back-to-school shopping a breeze.  Looking for the elementary school checklists? Click here. Mt. Hope High School Teachers will hand out a syllabus on the first day of school outlining the specific supplies that high school students require for class. However, it's safe to say that basics such as pens, pencils, …

Though Monday's rain may have put a damper on the first day of practice for football, all other fall sports at Mt. Hope High School are expected to begin during the week of Aug. 22.  See the team practice schedules below, or bookmark the announcement on the school website, here. Sport Start Date Time Location Cheerleading Aug. 22  9-11am, (Starting Aug. 30, Tues & Thurs 2:30- 4pm) MHHS Gym 3 Football Aug. 15 8:00-3:00pm, (Starting Aug. 30, 3:00-6:00pm) Practice Fields Cross Country Aug. 22 9:00-10:45am (On 8/29 2:30-4:15pm and starting Aug. 30, 2:50-4:40pm) 8/22-8/29 Colt State Park near the …

Ready or not, here it comes. It's almost back to school time and the sales are already happening. We don't want you to miss a good deal, so every week we'll bring you some local back to school deals of the week.  Whether you're packing up for college or getting ready to send your child off to the first day of kindergarten, we've got some great local deals at Job Lot and Family Dollar, to help you save some cash.  Preschool - High School Students Family Dollar, 1150 Hope St, Bristol 5 for $5, mix and match for various back to school basics like notebooks, glue sticks and folders.  3-subject …

During a special School Committee meeting on Thursday evening, the committee approved 12 new teachers and one new administrator to the Bristol Warren Regional School District. The candidates were approved by the School Committee unanimously with the exception of one applicant.  Marjorie McBride, a committee member, voted against Cynthia Saddler, saying "memories die hard, and letters, and e-mails. Particularly one e-mail that was sent hasn't been forgotten." She commented regarding an incident that occurred in the past, saying that she wished "in the future" that she would "think twice" …

The Bristol-Warren School Committee voted to hire 12 new teachers and one new administrator to full time positions on Thursday, in what was a sometimes heated meeting. Sonya Whipp, a principal at Guiteras School who chaired the committee for selection of elementary positions, explained the process before the committee, which included rigorous paperwork, sifting through resumes, cover letters, recommendations, and transcripts, and a standardized interview process with a scoring rubric. There were a number of applicants in the process. "There were 471 applicants. We interviewed 20 candidates" …

Students go shopping for supplies and work on summer reading to gear up for a new school year. Administrators and teachers attend trainings and finalize class schedules in the last few weeks of summer to prepare for a new year. But what many people don't realize is that Mt. Hope High School itself is quietly being prepared for a new year as well. Custodians at Mt. Hope High School have been working rigorously through the summer to get every nook and cranny ready for the first day of school. From scrubbing down walls and desks to resurfacing the gymnasium, Mt. Hope's nine custodians have their…

The Bristol Warren Regional School District participates in the Feintstein Junior Scholars program. Each year, Mr. Alan Shawn Feinstein visits RI schools and meets with children to talk about doing good deeds and in return gives them a key to learning, also known as the Feinstein Junior Scholar cards. These cards are so wonderful because they allow free, one-time admission to exciting places in and around the state. Over the school year my husband took some of the boys to Battleship Cove in Fall River, accompanied by another family from Rockwell Elementary who also had the Feinstein Junior …

Hard to believe, but there are just three weeks until the first day of school. Maybe you've started back-to-school shopping for supplies and outfits to make sure your child is ready for another year. But has your child completed the summer reading requirements yet?  This year, all students at Mt. Hope High School are required to read one book over the summer and to respond, on-demand, to prompts from the back of the book during the first few weeks of school. At Kickemuit Middle School, sixth, seventh and eighth graders must read two books, but can choose from a list offered by the school. …