The Salisbury Township School District held an orientation Aug. 24 for all new and returning staff at Salisbury High School as well as school board members.

Similar to a red carpet event in Hollywood, employees had their photo taken in front of a Salisbury backdrop by the paparazzi seen later when the group convened for opening remarks.

Employees then attended a session of their choosing in support of personalized learning and the seventh habit of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” - “sharpening the saw.”

Sessions included “Deskercises and Focus Fixes” which included exercises done at the desk or while standing to stay energized and focused; “Culinary Training Designed for Schools” with ideas to plan, prepare and present attractive meals for students; “Constructing Change” with tips to construct change in one’s life, whether it is physical or environmental; “Relieving Stress with Adult Coloring;” “Drumming Up the Fun” where participants learned how to drum away stress; “Changing Your Image: Cleaning up .pdfs and .jpegs” with tips to save time and build clear images; “Making the Band” where participants could bring their own guitar and collaborate with others; “Summer Reading Book Chat;” “GaGa pit;” “Creative Card Making;” “Minute to Win It – Salisbury Style;” “Backyard Bocee Ball Bonanza;” “Exterior Vehicle Care/Detailing;” “So You Think You Can Karaoke;” “Forever Wild - The Adirondack Experience;” “A Mid-Day Stretch” and “iMovie Trailers Done Easy.”

Following the workshops, all employees gathered in the auditorium and were welcomed by Superintendent Dr. Randy Ziegenfuss.

Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Lynn Fuini-Hetten thanked the staff who coordinated the orientation.

President of the school board Frank Frankenfield also welcomed all participants. He detailed the improvements made to the school property over the summer and thanked the maintenance staff for making sure the schools are ready for the new school year. He welcomed all new staff members to the Salisbury family.

“To all the staff, thank you for the passion and professionalism which makes Salisbury successful,” Frankenfield said.

Matt Tobias, Salisbury Education Foundation vice president and Scott Marshall, Salisbury Educational Support Personnel Association vice president put together a song to welcome the new employees to the district.

The staff band “Period Five” gave an encore music performance which was enjoyed by all. Members of the band include Bob Bruchak, Brenda Kahn, Kate Hutchinson, Stan Griffis, Jack Vaas and Angela Mosley.