Acting Superintendent Update
I hope the start of spring for our HP families is off to a great start. This newsletter is generated to provide the community with a district look ahead, as well as to showcase some highlights, and celebrations!
As we head into Spring Recess for HP School, I hope families can get some time together and enjoy the weather. For those celebrating Passover, Ramadan and Easter, we wish you a peaceful and happy holiday.
As a reminder, the District 2023-2023 School Calendar was approved in February and has been posted on the school website. In case you missed my Winter Newsletter, it is linked.
Warm regards,
Jessica Nitzberg
Spring Highlights
Below is an update to the Wellness Rooms which was last shared in my Winter Newsletter.
With the gracious fiscal support of our HSA, we are forging ahead with plans for these two spaces. Our two outdated locker rooms do not get a high volume of use in the traditional sense. To make these spaces more accessible and usable for all students and staff, we are converting the current locker rooms to wellness rooms. These spaces will still allow private areas for our sports teams to have boys and girls separately access when changing and storing items for games and practices.
An additional advantage of the "Wellness Rooms" is that they can be used by our Physical Education Department as an extension of PE classes for yoga or fitness instruction, by our Guidance Counselors to host Character Education classes and as an alternate location for teachers to sign up for daily brain and activity breaks. Kudos to Mr. Torrie for his initiative with this project. Photo credit to; Douglas D. Michel Drafting & Design.
The removal of the old metal lockers will occur over Spring Break. Once our spring sports teams wrap up, we will begin demolition, paint and lay flooring. This summer, we will focus on receiving materials and completing the overall setup of the Wellness Rooms.
Thank you to HPPD - We want to thank our Harrington Park Police Department for their recent efforts and collaboration at HP School working with Police Officers from River Vale and Old Tappan. Officers from neighboring departments are familiarizing themselves with the physical school facility. This is in an effort to stay current in the event of any emergencies that call for additional police support.
As previously shared by myself and the BOE, we have been closely examining a potential Referendum for the community to review and vote on in December of 2023. The balance of examining building-level enhancements and upgrades while being fiscally aware of the climate is our focus. Some specific building upgrades that are being explored include:
New student bathrooms in the K-1 hallway, 4-5 hallway and in the 2nd and 3rd grade tower.
Upgrades to our HVAC units which vary in age and efficiency based on building area. A more efficient and cohesive model would be rooftop units unlike the large chillers and air handlers we currently have on property.
New lockers for our 6th-8th grade students.
The potential feasibility to expand and gain several classrooms to better meet the needs of growing programs such as PreK and school-based Special Education Programs.
These potential upgrades and projects would be timely as we are coming off of a 20 plus-year bond from when the "new" addition was completed back in 2001. Since then, all large building enhancements such as replacement of original boilers, the main entrance vestibule, and parking lot renovation have been completed through our regular operating budget.
Separate from a referendum and at no additional cost to the community, we are continuing to explore with a number of Solar Companies the potential of upgrades to the roof and if solar roof panels could bring a significant cost benefit to our electrical costs.
Looking Ahead
We are pleased that the Summer Escape Program will be offered for a third summer. This three-week August program will provide a variety of enrichment, athletic and academic courses for students entering Pre-K through 9th grade. For more information and to register, please go to www.hpsd.org to view the catalog or email the Coordinator, Ms. Weber at Weber@hpsd.org. Also, be sure to follow them on Instagram @hpsummerescape.
Save The Date - On Tuesday, May 9th, HPSD in collaboration with the Community Church will host a Blood Drive at the Community Church, 1 Spring Street, HP. We will work onsite with New York Blood Center. Details to follow.
The 8th grade production of Matilda Jr. will be held the weekend of May 5th & 6th. The 8th grade musical is a time honored HPS tradition. This dynamic musical production is led by Ms. Allen & Ms. Hess. All HP students will have the opportunity to see the dress rehearsal performances during the week of May 1st. However, all HP families are invited to purchase tickets to the evening shows on May 5th & May 6th. Our 8th grade students and parent volunteers have been working tirelessly. This is a must see performance! The HSA will share the purchase link via email and you can check their website. After 8th grade families have the opportunity to purchase tickets, general ticket sales will open on or about April 21st.
Celebrate!
This past Tuesday evening on April 4th we hosted our annual Art Show. A huge thanks to Ms. Pidane & Ms. DeBellis for their tremendous efforts in coordinating student artwork as well as the family project allowing for onsite fundraising for earthquake victims in Turkey & Syria. It is always amazing to see our community come out to support the Arts at HP. A special kudos to some of the other groups that presented at the Art Show including the 8th Grade Musical Cast and our dynamic Music Department.
Congratulations to Ms. Melissa McHale, Library Media Specialist, who has been selected as Harrington Park’s Teacher/Educational Services Professional Program Award recipient for the 2022-2023 school year. Ms. McHale is a talented teacher who is committed to the success of her students. She is patient, kind, and inspiring and her love for the profession exemplifies what we are so proud of at Harrington Park.
With the collaborative fiscal support of the HSA and HPBOE, our Physical Education staff was CPR Certified this winter. In turn, the PE Staff can now provide training for our 7th & 8th graders as part of Science Enrichments and Health. Our 7th & 8th graders will be given the opportunity to be trained and CPR certified, which is an essential life skill.
Big thanks to the HSA for their sold out Denim and Diamonds Gala held last week at Seasons in Washington Township. The fundraising efforts of the HSA and KPA provide a high volume of enrichment programs and experiences for our students. Our tireless HSA volunteers did an incredible job planning and hosting the Gala!
