 |
| From
left, Pupil Personnel Services Director Scott Palermo
chats with Superintendent Dr. Patrick Michel and
Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther at the opening day
conference. |
On Sept. 5,
Monticello’s new Superintendent Dr. Patrick Michel warmly
welcomed the faculty and staff to the beginning of the new
school year. He also unveiled his visionary plan for the
district.
In an effort to emphasize each person's individual importance to
the educational process, Dr. Michel expanded the scope of the
annual opening day conference to include all district staff
members
 |
| Board of
Education Vice President Robert Stewart served bagels
and coffee to teachers Karen Crofoot and Michelle
Knowlton, as well as the other 500 attendees at
opening day. Also pictured is BOE President Alyce Van
Etten. |
The sense of
district unity was also demonstrated by the Board of Education
members who served the staff members - which numbered more than
500 - a continental breakfast prior to the start of the
conference.
“This feels good,”
exclaimed Karen Crofoot, a special education teacher at Chase
Elementary School. “This is the way it should be, you can feel
the camaraderie!”
When Dr. Michel unveiled his Power Point presentation detailing
the new vision for the district, he was greeted by an
overwhelmingly positive response. “We need to improve our
communication and re-establish trust with our educational
community,” expressed Dr. Michel. “We need to have direct and
honest conversations, and treat each other with dignity and
respect.”
 |
|
Monticello
High School's Academy of Finance Director Wendy Levinson
(left)takes a moment to welcome the district's new
Assistant Superintendent Ms. Kathleen Pagano-Fuller. |
He also spoke about
the changing global economy and how the district needs to be
“training students to be successful in this informational age.”
“The world is changing at hyper-speed and brain strength has
replaced muscular strength,” stated Dr. Michel. “We must
prepare our students to handle and influence these changes.”
One of the suggested ways of reaching this year’s district goal
of “building excellence through trust,” is to create curriculums
that allow students to move beyond their competence, to
challenge them, to work hard, to take risks, and
to not be afraid of failure - all within a “safe and positive
learning climate.”
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