Tri-District Review
October 2021
From the desk of Dr. Beams
I am so sorry, but due to some technical difficulties, I could not get a video message to everyone this month. With that said, can you believe that we are already in NOVEMBER???
For Highlands Elementary and Henry Hudson Regional, our students and staff have successfully made it through the first marking period and we are already seeing some strong academic performances. We look forward to welcoming our parents/guardians in later this November and in early December for Parent/Teacher conferences. Whether attending virtually or in person, this is a great time to discuss your child's progress and collaborate with your child's teacher to learn about their academic progress thus far. For Atlantic Highlands, the trimester will be over before we know it, and look forward to those deep, meaningful conversations later in December.
October was a very busy month, packed with fun activities, outstanding learning, and, of course, some HALLOWEEN FUN! All three buildings participated in Week of Respect and School Violence Awareness activities this month. Our students really had some great conversations about respect, tolerance, and acceptance, and all three schools continued their commitment to end bullying of all kinds. Our Boards of Education were all very busy this month as well. In addition to each of the Board's two meetings per month, all three Boards of Education got together this past month to engage in critical Board member training led by New Jersey School Board Association and the Busch Law Group. One of the highlights of the Tri-District Board Retreat was that all three Boards collaborated to set Tri-District goals that are aligned with the Tri-District Strategic Plan as well as the goals that Dr. Beams and the current administration have set to propel the three districts forward. At the end of this month, I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending the Henry Hudson National Honor Society Induction Ceremony. During this milestone event, the current eight members of the National Honor Society inducted the newest eight members who have exemplified the highest levels of achievement both in the classroom and in the Henry Hudson school community at large. I was absolutely amazed and inspired by the incredibly diverse, well-rounded, and outstanding students who are both current and new members of the National Honor Society. Finally, I ended the month with a special treat, as I was invited to be a judge for the Atlantic Highlands Halloween parade. The children, parents, friends, and neighbors did not disappoint. The creativity, spirit, and sense of community were palpable! It was such a fun day and I was so thrilled to be a part of this wonderful tradition.
We have already jumped into November and there are many events that I am sure that we are all looking forward to this month. All three districts will hold our Board of Education meetings over the next two weeks. At the elementary Board meetings, we will honor our students of the month and at Henry Hudson Regional School's BOE meeting, we will be honoring some of our outstanding student-athletes. On November 18, Henry Hudson will host their annual Open House for prospective high school students. This year, we hope to make this event interactive and a true showcase of the incredible programs offered at Henry Hudson. Finally, in late November, we will, of course, get our second break of the month to give thanks and reflect on all that we are grateful for during Thanksgiving.
With two full months in the books, I wanted to thank all of our parents, students, staff, and the overall community for following all of our Covid-19 health and safety protocols. As you can see from the weekly Covid data reports, your hard work and diligence have helped us keep the number of Covid cases in our school community very low and have allowed us to continue to remain in school and to continue to maintain as many of our extracurricular activities as possible. With colder temperatures coming and more and more activities moving indoors, we need to remain steadfast in these measures to keep our community healthy, safe, and as close to normal as possible. With that said, as I am sure you are all aware, the Covid-19 vaccine is now available for children aged 5-11. We are working with our local municipal leaders to ensure that there are locations for all families who are interested in vaccination for themselves and their children age 5 and up to get the vaccine. The districts will continue to communicate out any information that we receive from the Department of Health and the Department of Education regarding the vaccination and any other Covid-related information.
I hope that you all enjoyed this long weekend and were able to have some fun and find some time to relax as we head into the Holiday season! I look forward to all of the activities that our schools have planned over the next two months and I hope to connect with more and more students, staff, and families as we move further into the school year.
As always, stay safe, stay healthy and stay KIND!
Dr. Beams
GOBLINS, GHOSTS & SIMPSONS? HALLOWEEN IN THE TRI-DISTRICT

HALLOWEEN AT HHRS!
The MS advisors, Ms. Jenna Flemingand Ms. Jessica Porter celebrated Halloween with the middle school students out on the upper field for a Halloween Haste. Students dressed up in costumes and competed in groups for prizes. The afternoon was topped off with a pizza party and drinks. All had a great time and Elijah Rivera-Snow won the best costume as the Joker! Mr. Esposito and Mr. Chen attended for supervision and all had a great time.

Eight New Members Inducted into the HHRS National Honor Society
The Highlands Elementary Little Library - A Community Giving the Gift of Reading
Thank you to William Kane for building and creating our H.E.S. Little Library. This little library will be located along the front walk of the school as you are coming up the hill as you head towards our Osprey Learning Garden. At our October 18, 2021 Board of Education Meeting, our students Parker and Lucie Wells presented our school with their Grandfather's custom creation. This is a great way to promote a lifelong love for reading.

Our Tri-District Professional Day was a SUCCESS!
October Admiral Sports Review
At the high school level, the Boys Cross Country Team won the Shore Conference "B" Central Division Title. This is the second year in a row the team has brought home the Division Title. Also, the Boys Varsity Soccer Team had a very successful season, finishing with a winning record and qualifying for the Shore Conference Tournament and State Tournament. It was the first time in over five years the boys qualified for the prestigious Shore Conference Tournament.
At the middle school level, each team competed locally against other middle schools and had fun competitive seasons. The final middle school competition of the Fall season was the Middle School Cross Country Meet of Champions at Big Brook Park in Marlboro. The Admirals competed hard with Naomi Vidal coming in 4th and Grace Murphy 35th.
We are looking forward to honoring our Fall athletes and for the upcoming kickoff of our Winter sports season! Congratulations to all of our Admiral athletes and coaches!
The HES Cupola - Our beautiful history preserved for the ages
From the Desk of Mrs. Kingsmore - October Updates from HHRS
The Week of Respect was celebrated at HHRS with the kick-off assembly provided by Dr. Paul Wichansky who spoke passionately about his overcoming obstacles in his life and how students should always do their best to overcome them in their lives. Dr Paul has been a motivational speaker since the age of 7 and has had cerebral palsy since birth. His presentation was inspiring and he then provided a virtual presentation at night for parents of HHRS. The week also involved many activities that focused on respect for oneself and others. Each month teachers are using the Character Strong Curriculum to provide lessons that focus on building and maintaining character. Special thanks to Ms. Jenna Fleming and Ms. Rachel DeWyngaert for working together to make the week a success.
Special thanks to HHRS PTO for a successful fundraiser on October 15, 2021. Pocketbook Bingo was held and it was a great time for all. Unfortunately, Mrs. Kingsmore did not win but had a wonderful time with community members and parents present for the evening. Thank you to the Executive Board and members who volunteered to work the event: Mrs. Koerner, Mrs. Nobile, Mrs. Guilian, Mrs. Way and Mrs. Fair.
Ms. DeWyngaert sponsored a FAFSA night for the Senior class at HHRS. Seniors and their parents attended the meeting with a HESSA representative from TCNJ who assisted those present with filling out their Financial Forms for college applications. This night, held on Thursday, October 8, has been an HHRS tradition and is always well-received by all. Mrs. Kingsmore attended as well to support parents/students with their FAFSA submissions.
FDA Approves the Covid Vaccine for children ages 5-11
11/8/21 - HES BOE Workshop/Regular Meeting 6 pm
11/9/21 - AHES BOE Committee of the Whole Meeting 7pm
11/10/21 - HHRS BOE Committee of the Whole Meeting 7pm
11/11/21 - Veteran's Day Breakfast at HHRS
11/13/21 - AHES PTO Color Run
11/16/21 - AHES BOE Regular Meeting 7pm
11/17/21 - HHRS BOE Regular Meeting 7pm
11/17 & 11/18 - HES Parent/Teacher Conferences
11/18/21 - AHES School Picture Day
11/18/21- HHRS Open House 6 pm
11/24/21 - Early Dismissal for all schools
11/25 & 11/26 - Schools Closed - Thanksgiving Break
Dr. Baubles, Tri-District Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Mrs. Kingsmore, Henry Hudson Regional Principal
Mr. Esposito, Henry Hudson Regional VP and Supervisor of Athletics & Student Activities
Mr. Layton, Highlands Elementary Principal