Huntington Directors Enjoy Vacations
Summer is a time to unwind, relax, take a vacation, go to the beach and lap up the sun and surf, embrace projects that have long sat on the back burner, spend time with family members, tackle that pile of books and just enjoy time away from work. Interviews with department directors in the Huntington School District revealed a variety of pursuits have kept the educators hopping this July and August.
“I have had a busy and rewarding summer so far,” said Joan R. Fretz, Huntington’s director of fine and performing arts. “My daughter and I enjoyed several trips together to visit colleges. We saw Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, University of Delaware and James Madison and took one trip up north to Cornell. She loved the southern schools and we really enjoyed our time together.”
A mix of relaxation, family, personal and professional interest items have filled the summer for Ms. Fretz. “As usual, I'm doing some education related reading and writing, putting together an article for ASCD, developing a course on self-concept and intentional practice that I have been asked to teach at Adelphi in 2010, and thinking about creating a blog to connect with other educators on the topics I'm interested in,” she said. “I'm enjoying being out in the garden and the beautiful sunshine and slowing down to smell the roses as much as possible! I've been to a few concerts and plays and in between I'm touching base with school to keep tabs on some important projects.”
With the summer break winding down, Ms. Fretz is turning her attention to the new school year. “I look forward to seeing all of my wonderful teachers in a few weeks,” she said. “I've been reading some fascinating information about the incredible ways the arts impact brain development and look forward to sharing this with our community in the coming year.”
David Casamento, Huntington’s director of science and instructional technology, traveled far from how this summer. “I went to London and Paris for a week,” he said. “The weather was absolutely beautiful in both locations, about 68-72 degree. I have been to London before, but we have family there so we went to dinner with them. The gentleman's name is Lord Gordon Borrie. He sits in the House of Lords. It was a nice dinner where we talked about parallels of the British and American education systems.”
The trip to Paris was a first for Mr. Casamento. “I took eight years of French so going there was a great challenge for my limited knowledge of French,” he joked. “We walked everywhere. We saw the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, and Hotel des Invallides. It was a great trip except we went the whole time with only our carry-on luggage and are still awaiting the return of our bag. I even ran into an ex-student in Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris. She is now a middle school teacher in the Bronx and was accompanying 24 kids on a trip to Cairo. It’s a small world.”
“During the rest of the summer I have been busy getting ready for my new role as director of instructional technology,” Mr. Casamento said. “I have been reading articles, learning about eBoards, updating my knowledge of SMART Boards, and am working on the implementation of iSafe for the district’s administrators, teachers, parents, and students.”
Vicki Mingin, Huntington’s longtime director of special education and student support services was out-of-state when contacted for this article. “I am currently visiting my niece, three nephews, my brother and sister in Boynton Beach and Lake Worth in Florida for a week,” she said. “We plan to go to the water park called the RAPIDS. “They say the scariest ride is called Black Thunder. I am not sure yet if I will tackle that ride. We will see”
Wayne Edwards, Huntington’s director of math, made the most of his time away from the office. “I'm enjoying the summer with family,” Mr. Edwards said. “We are taking a family cruise celebrating the 40th wedding anniversary of my in-laws. I will also celebrate my 14th wedding anniversary (Aug.18) on the cruise.”
Mr. Edwards, who is entering his fifth year in the district, also worked on another favorite pastime this summer. “My dad and I took golf lessons together,” he said.
Georgia D. McCarthy, Huntington’s director of physical education, health and interscholastic athletics, didn’t escape the sports world this summer. She coached two basketball teams that count among their players, Mrs. McCarthy’s son, Kenny.
“He plays for Fastbreak out of New York City and we made it to the AAU Nationals, so I traveled to Hampton, Virginia for a week to coach him and the team in the tournament,” Mrs. McCarthy said. “We made it to the semi-finals. I am also coaching him with the Panthers out of Queens and we are playing in the Nike Swoosh league in Queens. The top 12-year olds in the New York area are playing in this league.”
Director of Humanities Joseph Leavy vacationed with his family in Maine and spent time with around Long Island with his wife Laura and twin three-year old sons, Peter and Teddy.
The directors will soon be back on the job, reinvigorated by their summer experiences.
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