By DR. DEREK ARROWOOD
Hamilton Heights Superintendent
Update #62 from Dr. Derek Arrowood, Superintendent, Hamilton Heights School Corporation.
This will be my last update of the 2020-21 school year, but I’ll check in over the summer on June 16 and July 21 to keep you in the loop with news and the start of school information.
In the meantime, mark your calendar for the HHSC School Board Meetings at the Atlanta Community Center on June 16 and July 21 at the Walnut Grove Community Building. Both meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.
Be on the lookout for the new HHSC Bookmobile, which will be making the rounds for curbside service this summer. Kids can check out books to help keep their imagination and reading skills sharp.
The annual Heights Area Pastors Prayer Breakfast is set for Friday, Aug. 6 beginning 7 a.m. at the HHMS Café. This year’s guest speaker is Maurice “Kojak” Fuller, Indiana Mr. Basketball 1993.
Thursday morning was the annual End of Year Breakfast for our 2020 and 2021 retirees as well as HHSC Support Staff and Building Teachers of the Year. It is with deep appreciation that we wish our 2021 retirees, listed below, all the best in the next chapter of their lives.
- HHHS: Mary Schwartz (Science Teacher, 50), Teri Curnutt (Guidance Counselor, 41), Jo Pickering (Math Teacher, 38), Bill Trachtman (Guidance Counselor, 30), and Chris Mantz (Head Custodian, 23)
- HHMS: Kim Thompson (Cafeteria Worker, 19), Pamela Trexler (Cafeteria Worker, 16), and Karen Gilliland (Cafeteria Worker, 14)
- HHES: Patty Lefkowicz (Early Childhood Special Ed Teacher, 29), Karen McFall (Kindergarten Teacher, 21), and Sue Hahn (Kindergarten Teacher, 20); and
- HHSC: Dorinda Harvey (Bus Driver, 42) and Cathy Picket (Deputy Treasurer, 32)
We are grateful for their collective 375 years of service to the district. The majority of these retirees have been a part of Heights for more than two decades. In fact, Mary Schwartz, with 50 years of service, is among the longest serving educators in our history. Thank you for your inspiring commitment to Heights! You will be deeply missed.
On that note, it is with sadness that we share Dorinda Harvey, who retired last summer, recently passed and is at eternal rest at St. Johns Cemetery in Tipton, Ind. Condolences may be left for her family here.
Our Monthly Update (#67), filmed on May 19, has just been posted. Click here to see HHHS students at the sandlot and the little house built by HHHS students for our littlest Huskies. We’ll introduce you to the HHMS National Champions and some amazing members of the Hamilton Heights Class of 2021.
Hamilton Heights Class of 2021 is leaving high school having lived and learned through a global pandemic. On Saturday, when they cross the commencement stage with diploma in hand, I will take great pride in knowing this was an extraordinary journey we walked together. Despite experiencing hard times, the unknown, and continually shifting to adjust, this class showed they have the resilience and determination to handle whatever life brings their way. These experiences have made them stronger, and they will carry those lessons into the future. We congratulate this year’s senior class and wish them all the best as they continue their journey after Heights.
I am extremely proud of our team effort in focusing on what we were able to experience instead of what we didn’t. We took the positives and were thankful, even if they were a little different than normal. We are however, looking forward to the start of a “normal” school year beginning on Aug. 10. Have a safe and enjoyable summer!
#WeAreHuskies