Good afternoon!
I am very thankful for the opportunity to e-mail you all this afternoon with a brief update on all that is happening on campus. The phone and IT staff have been working diligently to restore phone lines and e-mail service. We currently have a few lines up in the administration building as well as limited e-mail access.
It has been difficult for us to be cut off from communication with you all and I am sure you all have many questions for us. I have spoken to a number of parents directly, but have been too busy rearranging offices and classrooms, working with the students and staff on campus, and planning for the summer semester to call everyone.
As you have undoubtedly heard, we did completely lose our academic building to a fire in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 24, 2007. The local fire chief and the state fire marshal have investigated and both have stated the cause of the fire is unknown. As devastating and heart-wrenching as the fire was, we are all thankful that no one was hurt. I am pleased to report that during this week we have been able to re-arrange offices at the gym in order to re-establish eight classrooms in that building. When the gym originally opened, these rooms were established as classrooms, so we have simply returned to their original purpose.
We have experienced some staff changes at the end of the semester, but this is very typical for the end of the traditional school year. Our teachers’ contracts end at the conclusion of the spring semester just as they do at most schools. We anticipate teacher turn-over during the summer and we are already recruiting and interviewing prospective new teachers. The class schedule for the summer is already established and teachers are assigned to each of these classes. I have personally already distributed summer academic schedules to the counselors so they can give these to their students when they return to campus next week. Charles Cates also retired at the end of the semester. This was not a surprise to us and this is the reason Joe Stapp had been moved into the position of Assistant Headmaster. As many of you know, Joe has taken on a stronger role in many of the parent workshops recently and has, in fact, led most of the recent workshops. With Charles’ departure, Joe’s transition to Headmaster should be an easy one.
As sad and painful as the fire was for all of us, it has been very rewarding for me to watch the way our staff and many of our students have pulled together just as a family does during a time of need. I have personally told many of you and many of your children that I know being at HLA is one of the most difficult things they or you will ever face. We push our students physically, academically, spiritually, socially, and therapeutically in an effort to help them grow in every aspect. This is very difficult work for our students just as it would be for any of us. In spite of this (debatably because of this), many of the students build a strong relationship with our staff. The outpouring of support I have seen for a number of our staff has been heartwarming. Obviously most of our teachers lost personal items in the fire and our students and staff have rallied around to support those teachers emotionally as well as to help replace those items if possible.
We understand that students have been affected by this loss and we have every intention of addressing the loss through the therapeutic process as well as through personal one-on-one interactions with the kids.
Finally, I know you are all curious about the petition. We are all anxiously awaiting the judge’s final decision. We have expected his decision for many weeks now and unfortunately have no better understanding of why his answer has not been delivered than you do. As we wait for this decision, we are staying focused on the mission of the school and doing all we can to help your children grow and develop in all areas.
Thank you to all the parents to whom I have spoken for your ongoing support. I understand that this time is difficult for all of you just like it is for us. I hope this letter has helped answer most of your questions, but if it has not; please feel free to contact me or Joe Stapp for further assistance.
Best wishes,
John McMillon
