The South Orangetown Central School District officially kicked off the 2021-22 school year with its Staff Opening Day ceremony today! Teachers and school support staff district-wide gathered at Tappan Zee High School’s Joseph J. Hickey Memorial Field earlier this morning for welcoming messages from Superintendent of Schools Robert Pritchard, Ed.D., Board of Education member Christine Lee, EASO President William Hughes and Director of Staff Relations Joseph Lloyd, Ph.D. New staff members were introduced by their principals and waved to their colleagues.
Key highlights:
- In quoting Winston Churchill, “It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required,” Lee recognized the efforts of staff districtwide to rise to meet the needs of students and families over the course of the pandemic.
- Hughes emphasized the importance of forging meaningful, student-centered connections: “Despite all the things that may be happening around them, our students have hopes and dreams for the future. Our goal is to help them block out the outside noise and provide them with the learning and support to keep their dreams alive.”
- “Our students are our North Star,” Pritchard noted. “You have my greatest respect for serving as the brightest lights for our students. A new year is an opportunity for us all to start anew, together.”
Following the ceremony, staff members headed to their offices and schools to prepare for the return of our students on September 9.
Wishing all of our outstanding SOCSD staff members a fantastic 2021-22 school year. Thank you for all that you do!
