The 2024-2025 academic year officially began Monday for teachers in West Hartford Public Schools with a lively and inspiring convocation.

By Ronni Newton

As Monday morning’s inspiring convocation ceremony came to a close, Superintendent of Schools Paul Vicinus challenged teachers to think like scientists, to follow a “building thinking classrooms” philosophy and perhaps embrace rather than try to erase confusion, and in the process rethink how success is defined.

Last fall, leading his first convocation after being named superintendent, Vicinus, now in his 31st year as an educator, introduced the district’s new tagline: “Every Child. Every Day,” which built on the previous tagline of “Clear Paths. Bright Futures. No Limits.” The introduction of a new motto was intended not just to create new energy, but also to focus efforts on the students without surrendering to the very real problems caused by and during the pandemic, and this year Vicinus continued his message that while teachers are the catalysts for students, and perform selfless service, “it’s all about them.”

“If we teach students – not their behavior, not our reaction – at the center, we can make real gains to not only curb the disruptive behavior, aka the ‘symptom,’ but also address the skill deficit, aka the ‘root cause,'” Vicinus said. The use of restorative practices as a complement to consequences, he said, “places the student, and the student community, at the center.”

“So my charge to you is simple: Take time to think about, and rethink about your approach this year,” he said. “What are your strengths and where can you stretch relative to student-centered instruction and learning environments … How do you best prepare them in a world rich with information and disinformation in which the currency of intelligence is not measured in the volume of facts but instead in the art and science of analysis, questioning, wondering, adapting, and creating? How can you best place students at the center, have the courage to try, have the confidence to fail, and have the perseverance to try again?”

Convocation – the “Celebration of a New Year” – is traditionally held on the first official day teachers return to work. It’s held at Conard – which is the district’s largest space – and as usual the auditorium was filled Monday morning to capacity with teachers and administrators from all of the schools. While physically at Conard, other district schools take turns hosting the event, and this year the honor fell to Duffy Elementary School, with the choir kicking off the ceremony with an inspiring rendition of “Peace,” sung in 12 different languages.

Even before the ceremony began, as teachers arrived they were “clapped in” – first by a group of Conard students athletes who were outside the main doors, and then by administrators who lined the hallway leading to the auditorium. “Clapping in” became part of convocation for the first time last year, but has been a tradition that started at Conard several years ago with teachers greeting students as they arrive at on the first day of school.

On a serious note, Vicinus also began the ceremony by taking a moment to honor the tragic losses suffered recently among many of the school communities, most recently at Hall High School. He expressed confidence that although the teachers and school communities will continue to be challenged, it will make them stronger.

The roughly 90-minute included a welcome by Duffy Elementary School Principal Kristi Laverty, whose first words were: “Do you believe in magic?” Duffy is in the midst of a major construction project involving the installation of air conditioning and other air quality upgrades, including new windows in all of the classrooms, but she said the school community will make the best of the challenging situation because of their teachers.

“Our students will have their best first day of school ever because they’re back with their Duffy family,” she said.

Theresa Rangel, the district’s executive director of Equity Advancement and the emcee for the convocation event, said teachers have the most important job in the world – “cultivating and nurturing the next generation.” She also welcomed the 50 new teachers as well as Town Manager Rick Ledwith, members of the Board of Education, Town Council, and State Rep. Kate Farrar, and recognized teachers who have met the milestones of 25, 30, and 35 or more years of service.

Board of Education Chair Lorna Thomas-Farquharson noted that it seemed like it was just graduation and the summer seemed to fly by, but asked who watched the Summer Olympics – and most of the room raised their hands and clapped when she mentioned the success of team USA.

“Talk about the embodiment of ‘all for one, one for all,'” Thomas-Farquharson said.

As West Hartford Public Schools launches the 2024-2025 school year with convocation, they are looking to prepare and inspire “all students, regardless of what they look like, how they learn, how they worship, or how they identify,” and it is essential to invest in all students and do so through a lens of equity, Thomas-Farquharson said.

When students are ready to graduate, all of their educators, from pre-K on, will have played a role in their success. “When our students succeed, their respective schools succeed, which means the West Hartford Public Schools district succeeds – team WHPS succeeds. Recognizing each of you plays a special role, or roles, at a certain school or schools, all of you represent team WHPS. All for one, one for all as we collectively strive to prepare and inspire all students,” Thomas Farquharson said, thanking the teachers for who they are and what they do.

As is tradition, Emily McMurray, a Charter Oak International Academy Pre-K teacher who was the 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year, introduced her successor, Conard High School science teacher Nora McHugh, the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year.

Conard teachers and administrators were all wearing tie-dye shirts, created through the guidance of McHugh, who is known for her hands-on lessons that include the “science of tie dye” that she started when she taught at Hall.

McHugh entertained the audience with her tale of her start in West Hartford Public Schools – as a kindergartner at Charter Oak on Sept. 5, 1986. She even had a photo of her with her bowl cut hair and ruffly dress – that was published in the West Hartford News and saved by her mom, and a note from her teacher, Mrs. Small, whom she said she felt like she already knew. McHugh loved the book “Mr. Small’s Big Dream,” and brought it in for her teacher to give to her husband – Mr. Small.

A report card note from McHugh’s first grade teacher, also saved by her mom along with her class picture, stated: “Most of what Nora does is affected by her strong personality. Nora always expresses her opinion.”

Her teachers at all grade levels – including at Hall where she was one of just four females taking AP Biology, and one of few female AP Calculus students – had an incredibly important impact on her life, McHugh said. She urged her fellow educators to reflect on the impact they can have, and to ensure that “every child, even those with strong personalities, have the ability to reach their potential.”

Each year a student from the host school is asked to provide “Insights of a Student,” and this year’s speaker was Camila (“Cami”) Jimenez, who graduated from Duffy in 2024 and will begin sixth grade at Sedgwick Middle School this week. Rangel, who introduced Cami, said when they met Cami told her she wants to be either a pediatrician or a cardiologist, and her favorite things to do are “making friends and learning.”

Cami shared some anecdotes from her time in elementary school. “All of my teachers at Duffy taught me to be myself,” she said, and that’s the message she shared as she engaged the audience and shared some quotes from author Oscar Wilde.

“Remember to always stand up for what’s right, but most importantly be yourself, because everyone else is already taken,” Cami said.

While Monday was the first official day back to work, many teachers have already spent extensive time preparing for the start of the school year. Some students have also been in the buildings, attending orientations, open houses, or sports practices. Classes begin officially on Wednesday morning.

We-Ha.com met with Vicinus last week to talk about what to expect in the new school year, and that information can be found here.