Submitted by Jennifer Favalora.
Cougar Pride: Superintendent Jeff Wihbey recognized Noreen Granucci for her 50 years as an employee in Haddam and Killingworth schools. Noreen was hired in January 1972, before the two towns became a regional district, as a special education teacher at Killingworth Elementary. Over 39.5 years she taught Transition, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade at both KES and Burr Elementary. Upon retiring, Noreen began her second career as a paraprofessional at Haddam Elementary and is now at Burr. Noreen’s career has spanned generations of students, seven principals and eight Superintendents.
In December, the annual HKHS Holiday Show raised $12,974.69 for the Connecticut Cancer Foundation which is a Non-Profit Organization that funds cancer research. The live telethon was produced on HKTV through the high school’s Media and Communication courses and included participation from schools throughout the district.
Superintendent’s Update: Superintendent Wihbey reported on the state-level changes to quarantine restrictions in place at our schools, including the removal of contact tracing at the schools. Mitigation strategies remain in place and are still reducing in-school transmission. Additionally, the District has received a limited supply of Covid testing kits and masks from the state to be used for staff and students.
Intermediate/ Middle School Lighting: The Facilities and Finance Committees brought a joint recommendation to the Board to replace all of the lighting in the Intermediate/Middle School building to reduce energy consumption by 348,233 kWh per year, which is roughly the equivalent of taking 32 homes off the electrical grid. The net cost after Eversource incentives will be $232,293. Eversource has offered a 40-month loan at 0%, with annual electricity savings offsetting loan payments to only $36 a year. After the loan ends, annual energy savings will be approximately $70,000 per year. The Board approved the recommendation and will use Secure Energy to complete the project within the next two months by working third shift and weekends.
Board Liaisons: The Board of Education named the following members to serve as liaisons between the Board of Education and the following agencies: Haddam Board of Selectmen: Brenda Buzzi, Killingworth Board of Selectmen: Kathy Zandi, LEARN Board of Directors: Jen Favalora, Park and Rec: Corey Roberts, Youth and Family Services: Shawna Goldfarb.
On our Website: In March, the Board of Education will begin work on the 2022-2023 RSD17 School Budget. All meeting dates, including the Superintendent’s March 1st Budget Presentation, can be found on RSD17.org website under “District”→“Board of Education.” Proposed budgets and the budget timeline will be updated as they become available under “District”→ “Budget Information.”
