With the start of the new school year less than two weeks away, Washington Primary School is ready to roll in 2018/19.
Washington has a new principal in Dr. Michelle Richards, who took over from Marsha Neville, who retired after a dozen years as the building’s educational leader. Teachers have been stopping into the school for several weeks, organizing their classrooms and unpacking new supplies.
“When I met you in June, I felt your warmth and greatly appreciated the reception,” wrote Dr. Richards in a letter to faculty and staff members last week. “It is with this energy that we will work together to provide the most productive and successful school year for our students and one other.”
Washington will have some new faces in its classrooms as several teachers have moved to other buildings in the district. There will also be some new teacher aides and monitors. But the school’s tradition of catering to the needs of every student will assuredly continue.
“I am so pleased to be part of the Huntington UFSD and specifically the Washington Primary School family,” wrote Dr. Richards in her recent letter. “Huntington’s schools are considered to be among the finest on Long Island. The rich diversity of the families and staff at Washington Primary is a perfect fit as I come to you with years of experience as an educator in schools where multiculturalism is a driving force of achievement and success. Together, we will learn, implement and share side by side the many strategies and techniques that will place our students on a trajectory towards academic success.”
Teachers will report to work on Tuesday, September 4. A district convocation at the high school will be followed by a faculty meeting in the Washington cafeteria at 10:30 a.m. “We have a comprehensive agenda,” Dr. Richards said. Classes begin on Wednesday, September 5.
Parents and students are invited to visit Washington’s classrooms on September 4 between 1-2 p.m. A kindergarten playground party is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
“Here at Washington Primary, we are a professional family that will spend more time with one another than we do with our spouses, significant others, children, parents, etc.,” wrote Dr. Richards in her letter. “It is because of the amount of time we will be together that we will foster a working environment that is collaborative and supportive. To that end, I have a few fun-filled ideas to share with you at our first faculty meeting. We will grow together and have fun in the process. We are one Washington!”
