September 14, 2022
From the Desk of the President of the Harrington Park Board of Education.
Welcome back everyone!
A warm welcome to all new students, parents, and teachers. I believe you will find Harrington Park School to be a very special place.
The administration and staff were busy during the summer preparing for a “normal” school year to begin. It’s great to see the school buzzing and humming with excitement.
The BOE met on Thursday, reviewed last year’s achievements, and discussed 2022-2023 goals.
The Board feels all goals for the 2021-22 school year were successfully met.
Health and Wellness: The transition has been smooth as proper steps were taken over time, such as, in-class lunch to open lunch, bringing mental health support systems like Thrive on campus, supplemental academic support for students, staff and families. Mental wellness support in HPSD has become foundational for both empowering and supporting teachers and staff, and for improving students’ ability to learn and achieve academic success.
Capital Projects: The District joined a co-op with the Town and completed the repaving of parking lots and driveways, some of which were more than thirty years old. Furthermore, the District has worked diligently on a long-term capital improvement project plan.
Communication: The District revamped our website and mobile app and strengthened the District’s presence on social media to increase communication frequency. In addition, the Board continues to distribute these “From the Desk of the HP BOE President ” letters after each meeting to improve transparency and depth of communication with the community.
For the 2022-2023 school year, the Board discussed expanding the above key areas of improvement. For example, to help achieve academic successes for each student, the Thrive program will now serve more students and families in need. Additionally, resident counselors and teachers will have more opportunities to assist all students.
The Board will continue to work on needed capital improvement projects while working hard to remain fiscally responsible. Key projects under consideration are a science lab expansion and renewable energy adoption to reduce energy costs to be used as a tool for hands-on learning, as well as much needed renovations of our bathrooms, some of which are close to 70 years old.
Lastly, the Board plans to run an outreach program which can serve as a two-way communication medium for parents and community members. I believe an outreach program will be a valuable opportunity for the BOE to hear directly from parents and community members while providing more transparency and an opportunity to get community members involved in the school.
Have a great week!
Stephen Hahm