Back to School Letter
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Dear Parents and Community of Highgate, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as your interim principal at Highgate School for the 201516 school year. I would also like to share some important information about the upcoming school year. I am Patrick Hartnett. I am a resident of Fairfield, Vermont. I earned my undergraduate and graduate degrees at The University of Vermont and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill respectively. I have been working in education since 1984. I have been a teacher for 16 years and an administrator for 12 years. I have taught in Connecticut, North Carolina, on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, and in Vermont. I am married to Dr. Laura Bellstrom of Franklin County Pediatrics. We have two children. Zach, is a recent graduate of Colby College in Maine, and Connor, will be a sophomore at Colorado College this year. I also have had the good fortune to be a stay at home dad on two occasions when our boys were newborns. As many of you may know, Marcel Choquette left Highgate School to accept a position as principal in Milton. I was hired late in July and began work on August 3rd. I recognize that beginning a principalship in early August is late, but I will be doing my very best to get you information as quickly as possible. I am working closely with Superintendent Win Goodrich, Assistant Principal Karen Casavant, and our school leadership team to make decisions as we begin the school year. I will try to capture the most important information for you here in this letter. ● First Day of School: Tuesday, August 25th for all 1st 6th grade students. The first half day of school for Kindergarten students is Monday, August 31st ● School Calendar: The School Calendar is posted on our school webpage at: www.highgateschool.org Please be patient with us as we remodel the old webpage. ● School/Bus Time Changes: The school day still begins at 8:00 a.m. this year. The school day now ends at 2:45. This is an adjustment made to accommodate changes in the high school schedule that will impact the transportation times for the entire district. Parents can expect their children to be home approximately 30 minutes earlier than last year. ● Welcome Back Barbecue: I am working with the Highgate PTKO to merge the annual barbecue with the annual Open House later in September. I would like to use the open house/barbecue to meet parents, distribute new handbooks, meet new staff, and share with parents other important school information. ● New staff members: Jennifer Whitby, Kindergarten Teacher, Erica Fuller, fourth grade teacher, Michelle Melhuish, Speech Language Pathologist, Alison Narkewicz & Angela Gonyea, Early Education Teachers, Jessica Paquette, Administrative Assistant/Registrar, Patty Whittemore & Amber LaFar, Paraeducators In the immediate future, I will be using our website, Front Porch Forum, the St. Albans Messenger, and students’ home to school folders to communicate necessary and important information to you. If you have any questions, please call me at school. Respectfully, Patrick Hartnett Interim Principal, Highgate Elementary (802) 8684170
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Back to School Letter from Interim Principal Patrick Hartnett
Transcript of Back to School Letter
DearParentsandCommunityofHighgate,IwouldliketotakethisopportunitytointroducemyselfasyourinterimprincipalatHighgateSchoolforthe201516schoolyear.Iwouldalsoliketosharesomeimportantinformationabouttheupcomingschoolyear. IamPatrickHartnett.IamaresidentofFairfield,Vermont.IearnedmyundergraduateandgraduatedegreesatTheUniversityofVermontandTheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatChapelHillrespectively.Ihavebeenworkingineducationsince1984.Ihavebeenateacherfor16yearsandanadministratorfor12years.IhavetaughtinConnecticut,NorthCarolina,ontheNavajoReservationinArizona,andinVermont.IammarriedtoDr.LauraBellstromofFranklinCountyPediatrics.Wehavetwochildren.Zach,isarecentgraduateofColbyCollegeinMaine,andConnor,willbeasophomoreatColoradoCollegethisyear.Ialsohavehadthegoodfortunetobeastayathomedadontwooccasionswhenourboyswerenewborns. Asmanyofyoumayknow,MarcelChoquetteleftHighgateSchooltoacceptapositionasprincipalinMilton.IwashiredlateinJulyandbeganworkonAugust3rd.IrecognizethatbeginningaprincipalshipinearlyAugustislate,butIwillbedoingmyverybesttogetyouinformationasquicklyaspossible.IamworkingcloselywithSuperintendentWinGoodrich,AssistantPrincipalKarenCasavant,andourschoolleadershipteamtomakedecisionsaswebegintheschoolyear.Iwilltrytocapturethemostimportantinformationforyouhereinthisletter. FirstDayofSchool:Tuesday,August25thforall1st6thgradestudents.ThefirsthalfdayofschoolforKindergartenstudentsisMonday,August31st SchoolCalendar:TheSchoolCalendarispostedonourschoolwebpageat:www.highgateschool.orgPleasebepatientwithusasweremodeltheoldwebpage. School/BusTimeChanges:Theschooldaystillbeginsat8:00a.m.thisyear.Theschooldaynowendsat2:45.Thisisanadjustmentmadetoaccommodatechangesinthehighschoolschedulethatwillimpactthetransportationtimesfortheentiredistrict.Parentscanexpecttheirchildrentobehomeapproximately30minutesearlierthanlastyear. WelcomeBackBarbecue:IamworkingwiththeHighgatePTKOtomergetheannualbarbecuewiththeannualOpenHouselaterinSeptember.Iwouldliketousetheopenhouse/barbecuetomeetparents,distributenewhandbooks,meetnewstaff,andsharewithparentsotherimportantschoolinformation. Newstaffmembers:JenniferWhitby,KindergartenTeacher,EricaFuller,fourthgradeteacher,MichelleMelhuish,SpeechLanguagePathologist,AlisonNarkewicz&AngelaGonyea,EarlyEducationTeachers,JessicaPaquette,AdministrativeAssistant/Registrar,PattyWhittemore&AmberLaFar,ParaeducatorsIntheimmediatefuture,Iwillbeusingourwebsite,FrontPorchForum,theSt.AlbansMessenger,andstudentshometoschoolfolderstocommunicatenecessaryandimportantinformationtoyou.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleasecallmeatschool.Respectfully,PatrickHartnettInterimPrincipal,HighgateElementary(802)8684170
