Get Ready for an Exciting New School Year - A Message From Superintendent Megan Foster
Dear Hermon-DeKalb Families and Community Members:
Believe it or not, another exciting school year is upon us! I hope you all have enjoyed the fun, relaxation and time with family and friends that summer brings. We are eager to welcome our smiling students back to HDCS on Thursday, Sept. 5.
You are also invited to join us a few days early on Tuesday, Sept. 3, for our annual Back-to-School Picnic right here at Hermon-DeKalb Central School. From 5:30 to 7 p.m., you can enjoy dinner, pick up free school supplies, meet with outside agencies to learn about community resources and reconnect with friends you haven’t seen all summer. Of course, kids can also enjoy the always-popular bounce houses! You won’t want to miss it.
New Administration
I am thrilled to begin this school year as your new superintendent. Over the past nine years, I have had the pleasure of serving as principal, and I am now ready to continue living out the mission and values of Hermon-DeKalb in this new role.
Rebecca Hocking has stepped into the role of pre-K-12 principal as of July 1. Formerly the HDCS assistant principal, Rebecca is looking forward to supporting students, staff and families in this new capacity.
Please also welcome Margaret (Maggie) Munger as she takes on the role of assistant pre-K-12 principal. Maggie is a native to Northern New York. She graduated from the Indian River Central School District, and has spent the last 10 years there as a third grade teacher. She earned her teaching degrees through Jefferson Community College and SUNY Potsdam, then obtained her administrative degree through SUNY Oswego. Maggie lives on a hobby farm with her husband, two kids, two dogs, goats, turkeys and chickens. She enjoys many outdoor activities, including gardening, hunting, fishing and family rides on their side-by-side. Maggie is looking forward to building strong, productive partnerships with the HDCS community!
New Faculty
We also have two new teachers joining us for the 2024-25 school year.
Deanna Hughes - Middle & High School Math Teacher
Deanna Hughes has been teaching for 18 years and is from Antwerp in Jefferson County. She is married to her husband, Phillip, and they have two daughters. Deanna served in the Army National Guard. She iscurrently an EMT in Gouverneur and also volunteers at Friends 4 Pound Paws Inc. Rescue. She enjoys scuba diving. Deanna says her favoritething about math is, even though there is always one answer, there aremany different ways to get to that answer.
McKenzie Whitmore - Special Education Teacher
McKenzie Whitmore is dual certified in Literacy Birth-6th Grade and Special Education Grades K-12. She comes to us from Antwerp in Jefferson County and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. McKenzie enjoys traveling, reading and going to concerts. She is excited to help students reach their full potential.
School and Community Communication
Keeping our greater community informed is also a priority. Please visit our district website, www.hdcsk12.org, for the latest news, events, and other information. We encourage you to follow us on Facebook to stay updated on all the great things happening at school.
Supporting our Students
Open dialogue between home and school is key to academic excellence. I am genuinely excited about all the new opportunities this school year will bring! I look forward to working with you to ensure our students have another wonderful school experience.
My door is always open. If you have any thoughts, questions or concerns, please email me at mfoster@hdcsk12.org, send me a message through ParentSquare, or call me at 315-347-3442, ext. 1.
Warmest regards,
Megan Foster
Superintendent