From the Desk of the President of the Harrington Park Board of Education:
Greetings HP!
I hope this letter finds you well and you are enjoying the cooler fall weather!
(This note will cover our last two meetings - September 21 and October 5.)
In our September 21 meeting, the district took great pleasure in being able to recognize and honor recent retirees. We are grateful for their time in HPS and wish them a very happy retirement.
The retirees in attendance were:
- Deb Corriston - 26 years (Teacher)
- Joan Dever - 29 years (Teacher)
- Patti Sabo - 33.5 years (Teacher)
The retirees who were unable to attend, but still honored were:
- Nancy Fredette - 18 years (Teacher)
- Shirley Qualls - 8 years (Lunch Aide)
- Phyllis Turrin - 18 years (Instructional Aide)
- Manju Srivastava - 15.5 years (Lunch Aide)
During the public session, we had our first visit and report from the Student Council. Co-Presidents Jerry Chen and Aidan Brackenbury shared important information about Bike to School (October 4) and upcoming Halloween fundraising activities that will begin soon. We are also appreciative of the Student Council volunteers for their time spent directing parents on Back to School nights.
In our next meeting, on October 5th, the board spent time with our NJSBA representative discussing Board and District Goals. This conversation included discussion of shorter term (2023-24) and beyond. The board is very much looking forward to attending the NJSBA conference later this month.
Important happenings between the September 21 and October 5th meeting:
- Chuseok Festival - We are thankful to KPA for the work they put into the first festival since it was shut down due to Covid.
- Student Council - Mr. Conlon met with the Executive Committee for the first time since school began. We are looking forward to hearing more about their work as the year continues.
- New Scoreboard - A big thank you to HP Basketball and the HP 5k for their generous donations put towards the purchase and installation of the new scoreboard in the main gym.
- HP Sports - As of October 5th, our HP Girls Volleyball, Boys Volleyball and soccer teams were all undefeated. Great job by the student athletes and a big thank you to our coaches for their time and leadership!
- Wellness Rooms - continue to get a lot of use as we explore new and interesting ways to keep the students engaged and learning in healthy ways. We are grateful to the HSA for helping to bring this idea to life.
Of special note, the 2024-25 school will be highlighted by a Centennial Celebration. As the oldest part of the school will be 100 years old (!!!) in 2025, we will be planning many fun events and activities. Keep your eye out for more updates and ways to get involved.
The next Board of Education meeting will be on October 19th at 6pm at Community Church.
Warm regards,
Peter Toomin