New MHS principal reports on bounty of free school supplies; pick-up is tomorrow

by Dan McClelland

In his first report to the board of education, the newly appointed high school principal, Chris Savage began last Monday at the board’s August meeting with a point of “Lumberjack Pride” and some very good financial news for students and their families.

He said his first item that evening was about a Generous Acts Grant from the Adirondack Foundation which permitted the middle/high school to purchase supplies for students which included binders, notebooks, pens, pencils and more- all things, he said, support students in their various educational pathways.

He said the grant was procured by his predecessor, former Principal Amanda Zullo in the last school year.

“I inherited that really substantial gift and that’s been an exciting thing for us and I got to go shopping to find the best way to enable our students success using these new school supplies.

“It provided us with a mountain of school supplies- all now sitting in the school library waiting for us to unpack and put into the hands of our students.”

Being a parent myself and putting two boys through multiple years of school, he said he understood first hand how costly all these supplies can be.

“I ordered a huge pile of one-, one and one half- and two-inch binders, dividers to go in them, loose leaf paper, pencils, pens, hi-lighters, erasers, colored pencils, supply pouches, notebooks...tons and tons of school supplies!”

“-And these are here for everybody.”

He said tomorrow, August 22, from 2p.m. to 7p.m. has been the selected day and time for parents to come with their children’s supply lists “to do some school shopping- all for free.”

He said he is also working with Mrs. Alicia Tucker in the school’s IT department “to get Chromebooks and chargers into the hands” of students so they “are charged and ready to start the school year.” The IT department will also be on hand Thursday to help install security applications and passwords for those new machines.

“It’s going to be a great afternoon and evening of school shopping at no cost to anyone!”

Mr. Savage said this windfall for local students and their families is all courtesy of the generosity of the officials at the Lake Placid-based Adirondack Foundations and its many community-minded investors.

On the progress of getting the middle/high school building in shape for the first day of school next month, he said Jeremy Dukette and his team “have done an incredible job.” Though the cleaning and preparation for the school year work continues, it is nearing completion, he told the board.

The former and long-time elementary school teacher admitted to the board members that having taught for many years in the district, at the start of each new year he is always so impressed to see how much work has been done by the custodial staff over the summer to get things ready for the return of students each September.

“The transformation to those buildings that happens over the summer time” is something quite amazing to behold.

He said this summer, as he has worked in his post in the upper school building, he is actually seeing all that work first hand.

Principal Savage said the athletic department was scheduled to hold its fall sports meeting on August 14. The varsity football team began practice this past Monday and all other fall sports begin next Monday, August 26.

“In addition we’re preparing for Regent’s exams (this past Monday and Tuesday). I have a team of proctors and scorers- teachers who are ready to see these kids succeed and get another try at them. We’ve had many students in the building this summer, taking advantage of credit-recovery opportunities and preparing for those Regents exams.”

“It’s been great seeing them embrace another opportunity for their success!” he admitted to the board members last week.

He reported summer school was expected to conclude on August 16, with over 50 in grades 9 to 12 enrolled.

Sixth grade open house has been scheduled for September 3 and is an opportunity for students and their parents “to come in and see the school and meet the staff. Fifth graders have already paid the building a visit in recent weeks.

“Just another opportunity to put nervous minds at ease, as Mrs. Littlefield also put it this evening.”

He said something to look forward to at the board’s September meeting is a presentation by Student Brock Fleishman on a Facebook page he has developed on Tupper Lake athletics.

The principal said the student and student athlete has been working hard on the page and is most eager to show it off to the school board next month.

President Jane Whitmore asked the interim principal about the move to change summer school this year.

“I think it has some opportunities to further success. I’ve seen some really great success stories and opportunities to capitalize and grow if we want to continue using that model,” Principal Savage told her.

L.P. Quinn Principal Elizabeth Littlefield agreed with him.

“Some of the students really put their noses to the grindstone and completed” various elements that were added this year, she told the board members.