Submitted by RSD #17.
As work continues to develop RSD 17’s Primary Schools (K-3) and Intermediate School (4-5), the District has taken a major step forward with the selection of leadership. Superintendent Howard Thiery has announced the appointment of Eric Larson to be the Principal of the Haddam-Killingworth Intermediate School. Mr. Larson has served for the past fourteen years as Principal at Burr Elementary School which, under his leadership, was named the Connecticut Association of Schools Elementary School of the Year for 2018-2019. Superintendent Thiery has also announced the appointment of Haddam Elementary School Principal Brienne Whidden to succeed Mr. Larson at Burr. During her first year at HES, Ms. Whidden has guided the school’s students, faculty and staff through the period of transition that will result from the District’s re-structuring.
Program planning for both schools continues under the guidance of Superintendent Thiery and Assistant Superintendent Holly Hageman. The Intermediate School Planning Committee includes teachers, parents and administrators, spelling out values and goals, and focusing on aspects ranging from instructional models to transportation to lunch periods for 4th and 5th graders. Likewise, the Primary School Planning Committee, made up of teachers, parents and administrators, is working on merging students from Haddam Elementary School to Burr, including community- building activities in the spring of 2019. The Committee will also focus on ways to honor the closing of HES in June 2019.
The Future of Haddam Elementary School
The Board of Education’s Strategic Capital Planning Committee has secured the services of a commercial real estate professional from the H. Pearce Agency to produce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Haddam Elementary School building and surrounding acreage. The goal of the RFP will be to gauge market interest in the property and to carefully examine proposals received, keeping in mind the best interests of both RSD 17 and the Town of Haddam.
