It is with great pleasure that I write this article to introduce, or re-introduce, myself to the Westbrook community. As Kate Charest, I have been a student in the Westbrook schools and have worked at Westbrook High School as assistant principal and affirmative action officer. This summer, I got married and assumed the last name Hersom and now work as principal of Saccarappa School as Kate Hersom.
Having grown up in Westbrook, it brings me great pride to work amongst teachers who have remained committed to this district throughout their careers. I have worked in education for the past 12 years beginning with Boston public schools, Portland public schools, Lexington, Mass., public schools, MSAD 35 and now Westbrook public schools. I taught grades six through 11 before becoming a school administrator. These districts afforded opportunities to work with students from a wide range of demographic backgrounds: urban, rural, affluent, impoverished, multi-ethnic. My appreciation for the difference in “how students learn” has been born through my interactions with these very rich populations. It is excellent to return to my hometown where the commitment made by our educational community is “One promise: the best education for all for life.” For as long as I can remember (and it remains true in my present interactions), Westbrook teachers have always taken great pride in their profession and in preparing graduates to be successful in today’s marketplace.
I titled this article “Beginning with the end in mind” because I am transitioning this year from working with students nearing the end of their public school experience to working in a kindergarten-through-second-grade school where students are just beginning to learn how to learn. In thinking about this transition, I realized that when today’s kindergarteners graduate, many, if not most, of them will work in jobs that today don’t yet exist. As I work with teachers on planning for the needs of the kindergarten through second-grade students, in the back of my mind are the expectations that these students will need to meet as they ascend grade levels and ultimately graduate. One of my favorite educators encourages teachers to plan with the end in mind so that our daily actions are geared toward our intended results.
At Saccarappa School, we have several goals for this academic year. This is the start-up year of our all-day kindergarten program, and we have four classrooms filled with very eager and excited new learners. Also, this year the staff at Saccarappa will participate in district-wide as well as school-specific conversations on student performance data. We will use this data to continue to understand the needs of our learners and to match those needs to best educational practices. And, we hope to continue to encourage parents to be involved in special projects and activities around the school.
It has been and continues to be an exciting experience for me to work in the Westbrook schools, as I have noticed that many of the students I am now working with are the children of my classmates. I have met with friends who are now parents and who are also enthusiastic contributors to the Westbrook community whether they are on the City Council, teaching in the schools, volunteering, or coaching a team. I remember when I was a kid, it was the enthusiasm of the parents that created multiple opportunities for my siblings, my friends, and I to learn outside of the classroom.
I am looking forward to a challenging, purposeful, and fun school year and hope to continue to meet new parents and to see old friends.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
