MARION — The Sippican School Committee was a little more active than usual at its first meeting of the year, taking a tour of the school and meeting with new staff members. 

Eugene Jones, the facilities director for the district, led the school committee on a tour. He says that Sippican replaces parts of the school in phases as the town provides funds.  

Jones and the cleaning crew did a lot of work on the floors this summer. He also performed a playground inspection and helped to make sure that the playground was ready for students. 

To address the risk of Eastern equine encephalitis, a viral mosquito-borne illness that has no cure, Jones said that the school has been sprayed four times in the last four weeks. 

He is also working to gradually replace the 20-year-old water fountains with new bubblers with bottle fillers. 

In the near future, he will be working to install LED lights as part of a green communities project for Marion. 

School committee members generally had positive feedback on the tour. 

“The floors look great, the school looks great,” said April Rios.  

New Principal Marla Sirois agreed. “Getting the floors to where they are was no easy task,” she said. 

When they returned to their regular meeting room, school committee members also had a chance to meet Sippican School’s new staff members. 

Sirois and new Assistant Principal Kyle Letendre were already at the table for the meeting. Sarah Goerges, who had sat at that same table for many meetings as assistant principal, was now in the audience as Project Grow. 

The school also welcomed Brenna Kelley as a special education instructor for the fourth and sixth grade, Jenna Rose Sylvia as a paraprofessional, Taylor Mitchell as a paraprofessional for Project Grow and Lisa Daniel as a special education secretary.