Dear Tri-District Community,

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

Henry Hudson's National Honor Society Induction was held on Thursday, October 21, 2021. Eight students were inducted that evening: Nicholas Bigotto; Michael Boylan; Emiliano Cervantes; Eleanor Conover; Alison Dodge; Jesse Jacobs; Marykate Sharkey and Zhalet Tapia. This ceremony, led by the current eight National Honory Society members, highlighted the incredible accomplishments of our current members in the four pillars of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character and provided a glimpse at the well-rounded, high-achieving and inspiring resumes of the eight new members. Special thanks to Ms DeSanto and Mrs. Fahmie for the lovely ceremony as well as the inspirational speech given by Mrs. Kingsmore to the newest and current members. Those present commented on how special the ceremony was for their students.

As I am sure that you are all aware, the FDA approved the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccination for children ages 5-11 on October 29, 2021. With vaccinations already approved for children 12 and up, the announcement of this approval means that almost all of our Tri-District students from Grade Kindergarten - Grade 12 are eligible to receive this vaccination. The district is currently communicating with the Highlands and Atlantic Highlands Boroughs to coordinate local vaccination events for all children who are eligible and whose parents/guardians choose to have them vaccinated. Please stay tuned for more information on vaccination clinics or events. The Monmouth County Department of Health has asked us to share the following fact sheets with parents regarding the vaccinations. Please click on the documents below for more information. If you have specific questions regarding the vaccination, please consult with your child's physician.

Upcoming Events:

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

Thank you to this month's contributors:

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