Monday, August 19 will mark the start of the 2002-2003 school year for the vast majority of students and four schools will open their doors for the first time.

The new schools are needed to keep up with the district's surging growth - another 900 new students are expected this year, bringing the enrollment total to 74,112 including students from early childhood education (four-year-olds) through high school.

On Monday, the four area superintendents for the district - Carla Santorno, Joe Sandoval, Irene Jordan, and Melanie Haas - will tour schools and look at the implementation of the new district literacy program. A schedule follows below.

The student growth is occurring mostly in far northeast Denver and that's where two of the new schools are located - Rachel B. Noel Middle School (5290 Kittridge St.) and Lena Archuleta Elementary School (16000 E. Maxwell Pl.).

The other new elementary school is Lowry Elementary School (8001 E. Cedar Ave.), being built to serve new neighborhoods sprouting on the former air force base, and Bruce Randolph Middle School is in northeast Denver (3955 Steele St.).

All but Archuleta Elementary were programmed with the $305 million raised when voters overwhelmingly approved the 1998 bond. Construction of Archuleta -- the 10th school overall built with the 1998 bond funds - was possible due to stringent management techniques and savings realized by the Department of Facility Management.

The opening Monday for schools on the traditional calendar follows the July 31 launch for 19 elementary schools that use the Continuous Year schedule, which includes longer breaks in October and March and shortens the summer vacation.

For all schools, the 2002-2003 school also marks the introduction of the new literacy program, a concentrated three-hour daily block of instruction on reading and writing. Literacy coaches at each school will assist teachers in implementing the program and providing direct staff development and support to each faculty.

The three-hour block includes 90 minutes of reading, 60 minutes of writing, and 30 minutes of skills building.

The reading block, for instance, begins with 10-25 minutes of whole group instruction followed by 60 - 75 minutes of work. During the work period, students read independently, engage in partner reading, book talks, book clubs, and doing author studies, among other activities.

Teachers, meanwhile, instruct in guided reading and holding reading assessment conferences with no more than three students at a time.

The writing block also breaks down into a series of activities including planning, drafting, meeting in response groups, revising, editing, and publishing. Teachers will also conference with small groups of students.

At the secondary level, a studio course has also been designed and teachers have been trained to bring up to grade level those students struggling with reading skills.

Scheduled area superintendent visits for Monday, August 19:

Northwest: Carla Santorno
9 a.m., Philips Elementary School 6550 E. 21st Ave.
10 a.m., Smiley Middle School 2540 Holly St.
10:30 a.m., Park Hill Elementary, 5050 E. 19th Ave.

Southeast: Irene Jordan
7:30 a.m, South High School, 1700 E. Louisiana Ave.
9:00 a.m., Moore, 846 Corona St.

Southwest: Melanie Haas
9:00 a.m., John F. Kennedy High School, 2855 S. Lamar St.
11:00 a.m., Traylor Fundamental Academy, 2900 S. Ivan Way

Northwest: Joe Sandoval
7:30 a.m., West High School (951 Elati St.)
8:30 a.m., Baker Middle School (574 W. 6th Ave.)
9:30 a.m., Cowell Elementary School (4540 W. 10th Ave.)