Dear Parents:

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. I am extremely excited about the upcoming year at HCS. We have outstanding students, involved parents, and a supportive community. In 2010-2011 we will continue to offer a wide range of academic and extra-curricular opportunities to our secondary students.

HCS welcomes a number of new teachers to our outstanding secondary faculty. Mrs. Johanna Bossard, our new agriculture teacher, brings a variety of exciting new ideas and a great deal of enthusiasm. She has a master’s degree from SUNY Oswego and an undergraduate degree from Morrisville State.  She has experience with FFA, and she has a diverse background in agriculture, ranging from welding to horticulture. Congratulations to our FFA students whose float took first place in the Hometown Pride Division at the Fourth of July Parade. Mr. Michael Day, our new French teacher, joins us after teaching at Whitesboro. He has studied in Paris, has a master’s degree from SUNY Buffalo, and an undergraduate degree from SUNY Binghamton. Michael has taught training seminars on Smart technologies, and he plays the piano and cello. Mrs. Barbara Orth, our new part-time science teacher, has taught science in Virginia for many years. She has a master’s from Virginia Commonwealth University and an undergraduate degree from Longwood University. Barbara has a background teaching all levels of science, including Advance Placement and International Baccalaureate classes. Brandi Bostic will have a dual role as our new guidance counselor for grades 7-8 and Secondary Response to Intervention Coordinator. Brandi has a master’s degree from Sage College, and an undergraduate degree from SUNY Cortland. They are all fabulous additions to the HCS community.

Professional development will continue to be a part of our daily practice in the secondary school. We will start the year working with renowned educator and author, Katie Wood Ray, and we will work with trainers from All Kinds of Minds, which will be an integral part of our Response to Intervention implementation targeted at meeting the individual needs of students. We will also continue to refine and hone our strategies and practices in our ongoing work with the Learning Strategies while at the same time developing and utilizing our in-house expertise.

I would encourage parents to contact me at any time.  Also, please visit our website to access a wide range of information and email contacts. Many documents and updates are available online.

Finally, there is nothing as exciting and energy filled as going back to school. The new school year holds the promise of a fresh start and reconnecting with friends. I look forward to being a part of the rich experiences that have a positive impact on the lives of our students and make the HCS community a wonderful place to learn, live, and work.

Sincerely,

Tom Lutsic

Secondary Principal