Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year.  The first day of school for students is Thursday, September 4.  New students to the district may be enrolled at the school any day before school starts from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.  Any questions that you may have on schedules or room assignments for secondary students should be directed to the Guidance Office at 347-3442 before school starts.  Please call the same number and ask for the Principal's Office regarding any questions on students in pre-K through grade 5.  Staff will return for staff development days on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 2 and 3.

New staff members include Philip Snyder, 6th Grade Teacher; Christopher Dwyer, Teacher Assistant; Erin Wood, Keyboard Specialist, and John Foster, Custodian.

At the end of the year luncheon, three HDCS employees were honored by the Board of Education as Outstanding Employees for 2008.  They are Donna Anson, Main Office Secretary, Claire Peck, 5th Grade Teacher, and Ann Adams, Superintendent. These people were selected from nominations made by staff and community members.

At the July  Board of Education meeting the Board welcomed Bob Hance and Tom  Woodruff  to the Board of Education for five year terms.   Bob works at St. Lawrence University and Tom works at Corning.

The Renovation Project that was approved by voters in July 2006 is close to completion with most of the work expected to be completed by the start of school.  Secondary lockers are expected to be installed during the December break and some finish work will be completed after the school year begins.  Many thanks to the custodians for the countless hours that they spent this summer preparing for the renovation work and the numerous hours that they are spending readying the school for its start with staff on September 2.

Included with this newsletter are the bus routes for this year.  Please check them carefully.  Any questions on bussing should be directed to the bus garage at 347-3672.

This year the school will be operating on a six day cycle.  This calendar will be provided to students at the beginning of the school year.  A copy of the September calendar has been included with this newsletter.  You will know what days your child has special classes like gym, music, and art by viewing the calendar.  The first day of school, September 4, will be day one.

We expect four student teachers from SUNY Potsdam at the end of October.  We will also have two student teachers from St. Lawrence University starting this September.  They are Jennifer Charles with Kathy Peters in Secondary English and Russell Hendrick with Veronica Sanderson in Secondary Social Studies.

A school calendar and an application for free and reduced meals have been distributed this summer to all families.  Should you have any questions on this information, please call the school.  Another free and reduced lunch application is included with this newsletter.

All students in elementary and secondary grades will receive a handbook.  Should any of you want a separate copy, please contact the main office at the school.  Additionally, all students in Pre-K through grade 12 will be meeting with Mark White, Principal, at the beginning of the year.  The Code of Conduct and the Discipline Code remain essentially the same as last year.  The Discipline Code, the Code of Conduct, Elementary Handbook, Secondary Handbook, and Safety Plans including the School Management Safety Plan and Asbestos Management Plan are all available should you want to review them.  They can be obtained through the Main Office at the school. 

A monthly newsletter will be mailed to all addresses in Hermon and DeKalb as well as other school families in the Canton and Richville areas.  Should others wish to be included on this mailing list, please contact the main office at the school.  This newsletter will always include the lunch menu and the sports and activities calendars for the school.  Should you have community activities that you wish to see included, please contact the school by the middle of the month before the newsletter is distributed.

A pick up and drop off circle has been provided at the end of the parking lot nearest Route 11.  Cars using this area should enter right past the chain link fence and circle around the area joining the traffic circle near the building and exit in front of the bus garage.  All the parking spaces are painted as well as traffic arrows and stop signs.  It should be noted that motor vehicle regulations prohibit the passing of any school bus while its lights are flashing.  No vehicle may pass busses in either of the parking circles while bus lights are flashing.  By observing the parking patterns, we feel that the traffic flow will improve in front of the building.

Summer school at HDCS went well this summer.  In addition to Driver Education, courses were offered to students in grades K-8 designed to help them improve their skills.  The staff and students were limited in their space this summer because of the construction.  Many thanks to all of these people.

Schedules were mailed to secondary students earlier this summer. Information on schedule changes and other guidance matters was included with the mailing. 

At a Board of Education meeting on August 18, the Board set the 2008-2009 tax levy  at the amount estimated in May.  The increase in assessments actually decreased the tax rate 5.4% overall.  This year, with an on time state budget, we, at HDCS, built the school budget with those numbers in mind.  This projection allowed us to build a budget that preserved and maintained programs including the after school and summer school program for children.

Some changes have been made to the calendar that was given to all of you who received a booklet when the census was conducted.  Half days will be held on the following Fridays, September 19, October 17,  January 9, February 6, and May 8 for Staff Development.  Students will be dismissed at noon.  Tuesday, November 18 and Tuesday, April 28 have been designated half days for Parent Conferences.  These will be held both in the afternoon and evening.  The schedule at the end of the school year may change for elementary students depending on the number of emergency days used during the school year.

A reminder to all parents:  At any time you may ask to review your children's records.  Please contact the school to set up an appointment if you would like to do this.

All of us at HDCS look forward to working with you this coming year.  We strive to provide a positive experience for all students.  Please feel free to contact the school at any time.  If you would like to speak with a particular staff member, please call 347-3442 and the main office will arrange for you to speak with that person.