New teachers and other professional staff members were welcomed by the Board of Education and administration at the New and Second Year Teacher Orientations on Aug. 18 at the Caroline Caroline G. Atkinson Intermediate School.
The program began with greetings and introductions led by Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Special Projects Dr. Mary Bediako, who welcomed the new hires and introduced members of central administration, building principals and other key personnel, before announcing each new staff member by name and the school building in which they'd work.
"On behalf of the Board of Education, administration, faculty, staff, parents and students, I want to welcome you to our Freeport family," Dr. Bediako said. "Please teach our students well. The Freeport community is counting on you."
Board President Michael Pomerico also offered his congratulations. "Be proud of where you work," he said. "A lot of good things happen here."
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham told the new professional staff members that they were brought to Freeport to make an "absolute significant difference" in the lives of the children in the district. He also stressed the importance of relationships and communication. "Students in our community need these two important things," Dr. Kuncham said. "Know the children in your class very well. Make it a point to know something about them everyday. Transforming a school district happens in the classroom."
The newest members of the staff were also greeted by Gerald Poole, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction; Louis Frontario, the assistant superintendent for business; and Michael Singleton, the executive director of operations, who offered words of advice to the group before they embarked on a bus tour of Freeport Village, which included the Freeport Historical Museum and the Freeport Memorial Library.
The day concluded with an orientation workshop. As part of their orientation, new hires will attended workshops on Aug. 19 and 20, including EdWords: College and Career Readiness for secondary teachers, and Teach Like a Champion for teachers K-6. The orientation concluded on Aug. 21 with staff members reporting to their respective schools.