Welcome to Holmdel Teacher Education Association
Covid update letter to editor
Dear Editor,
If I could have one holiday wish come true, it would be for schools to be like they were in January and February of 2020, before COVID. As a long-time art teacher, I long for the days when I could work with students in my classroom on projects that inspired creativity and a love of learning. I miss the in-person interaction and smiles on their faces when they mastered a new concept. However, in perilous times, we must all make sacrifices for the sake of our students and community. That is why The Holmdel Township Education Association (HTEA) urges Superintendent Dr. Lee Seitz and the Holmdel Board of Education to suspend in-person instruction through the holidays.
On December 4, Mayor Greg Buontempo’s update revealed that Holmdel has 195 active cases and 565 confirmed cases – the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic. The NJ School Outbreak dashboard shows 285 cases linked to 70 outbreaks at schools. With the holidays coming, the health and safety of our students, their families, and school staff must be the district’s priority.
Virtual instruction through January 15 would build in a quarantine period for those who celebrate the holidays with people outside their households. This could help slow the infection rate in our community.
HTEA agrees that virtual or hybrid instruction is incredibly difficult. We regularly put in 10-12 hour days and spend weekends retooling lessons that were meant to be taught in person. But the health and safety of our community outweighs convenience. If we do the right thing now as cases continue to spike, maybe we can get through it faster and safer. And that would be the best holiday gift of all.
Sincerely,
Denise King
President, Holmdel Township Education Association
Graduates Visited By Teachers
On Thursday, June 11th, approximately fifty teachers volunteered to drop off caps & gowns, graduation balloons, senior t-shirts, “swag bags” donated by the parent group, and tote bags or coolers donated by HTEA. Teachers were split into 15 groups, decorated their cars, and paraded and honked around town to deliver goodies to their group of approximately 13-15 students that they were each assigned. Such an awesome day! Way to go Holmdel Teachers & Graduates!
Holmdel Township EA Sends Sweet Treats to Bayshore Hospital
Holmdel Teachers Honor Veterans on Veteran’s Day
Congratulations Educators of the 2020-21 Year!
