Dear Hawks,
First, thank you so very much for the opportunity to serve the students attending the Hermon School Department (HSD). The welcome has been warm and I am grateful. I instantly notice the high caliber of people who work in Hermon, the students are fortunate.
A huge "thank you" to Mr. Gonyar for leaving things in such good shape. We wish him the best in retirement.
COVID-19 has brought to me a perspective of greater gratitude. Faith, family, and cherished friends come to the forefront of what matters most to me.
We want to reopen the Hermon Schools! This is not an easy task. We continue to monitor federal, state, regional, and local information from the CDC, DOE, MSMA, MPA, MSSA, MEA, (acronym soup), and the office of the Governor.
This summer is filled with creating both district and school-level plans to allow for a safe return to school. Of course, along this bizarre virus journey there have been unpredictable and rapid changes. I don't think any plan is 100% foolproof yet we will move forward with intentions to reopen for the 2020-21 school year, even as we have alternatives at the ready.
We will approach the 2020-21 school year with student and staff safety as our top priority.
The Reopen Hermon Schools (RHS) committee has been assembled and work has begun. This representative group will provide oversight for the school system so that each of our schools can design and implement specific plans that address the variables and moving parts unique to each school. We will keep you abreast of our plans as they unfold.
Our first order of business is to hear from you, our sending towns and our staff. The following is a link to a Reopen Hermon School Survey (HERE). I would appreciate it if you could complete this ASAP (how about right now?), your response will be helpful to our work. The survey will close on Thursday, July 16th.
Again, thank you for a great welcome to town and I wish you all a great summer.
We got this!
Best regards,
Jim Chasse, Superintendent of Schools