Superintendent's Update
by Heath Halley
October 09, 2007
Welcome to the 2007-2008 school year. My name is Heath Halley, and I am the Superintendent of Schools in Putnam County. My administrative team and I will be writing weekly newsletters to the paper informing you of activities and keeping you updated with current information on the school district. In the following weeks you will read letters from, our High School Principal, Jeremy Watt; Middle School Principal, Barb Hodges; Elementary Principal, Shelly Stevens; Activities Director Kevin Miles, and Special Services Coordinator, Marion Spase. Throughout the school year, a variety of staff may write to provide information to you. I hope that this service will be of use to you.
As you may well know by now, the first day of school was August 22 with classes beginning at 8:20 a.m. This is an important time of year for everyone as the traffic on the roads will now include many school buses, so please be aware. Also the city streets will be filled with youngsters walking and riding bikes to school. So please be extra cautious as our children begin a new school year.
The Board of Education has worked hard to maintain low student-to-teacher ratios and has been successful in doing so. As many of our staff have had the opportunity to retire or go to larger schools or universities, there are several new faces adorning the hallways at Putnam Co. R-I. I encourage all of you to take the time to meet and visit with the wonderful teachers that we have instructing our children.
The maintenance crew has done an outstanding job once again ensuring everything was cleaned and ready to go. I want to recognize these people: John Fowler, John Berry, Paul Riley, Janet Martin, Henrietta Clover, Mary Knowles, Wayne Foster, Michelle Cunningham, and Leroy Elliott. Without them our jobs would be impossible for us to do. Here is my thank you for all their efforts.
We have also embarked upon a new era in our food service department. OPAA has been contracted to run our breakfast and lunch program. This is going to provide more lunch choices for elementary students than in the past. A daily salad bar is now an option. As with all programs, there are some kinks to work out. If you have questions don’t hesitate to give us a call.
I would like to invite everyone to participate in the 2007-2008 school year. It will be exciting and very enjoyable. It is our goal to provide a quality education to each and every student. We would like you to be a part of that as these children quickly become members of society and can learn from your experiences.
If I can ever be of service to you, please don’t hesitate to call the school at 947-3361. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to working with you. Heath Halley
