HUUSD announcements: New finance director, Crossett Brook assistant principal; June 10 is the last day of school
May 5, 2022 | By Lisa Scagliotti The Harwood Unified Union School District has announced two new administrator hires this week: a new assistant principal for Crossett Brook Middle School and a director of finance and operations for the district.
Lisa Estler has been hired to join Harwood Unified Union School District as its new director of finance and operations. Photo courtesy HUUSD
Lisa Estler will join the district as the new director of finance and operations, succeeding Michelle Baker who is stepping down at the end of the school year.
Likewise Crossett Brook Middle School Assistant Principal Josh Estes will be departing after this school year, and his successor was named this week. Kellie Klasen will be moving to Vermont from Chicago this summer to join the administration at Crossett Brook.
According to the announcement from Harwood Superintendent Brigid Nease, Estler joins Harwood district with 27 years of experience. “She comes to us from New Jersey as the former Associate Dean of Planning and Budgets, serving as the Chief Financial and Operations Officer for the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University,” the news release says.
Kellie Klasen will join the staff at Crossett Brook Middle School later this year as the school's new assistant principal. Photo courtesy HUUSD
After several years splitting her time between New Jersey and Vermont, Estler has recently moved to the Mad River Valley, the school district noted.
Klasen has 23 years of experience as an educator and as a masters degree in education from Loyola University. Currently principal at the Classroom Connection Day School, a K-12 therapeutic school near Chicago, Klansen has worked in special education throughout her career and for more than a decade in administrative positions.
The announcement said she plans to relocate to Vermont this summer with her husband and two children.
Looking ahead to the 2022-23 school year, a number of key administrative positions will turn over this summer. Most notably will be the superintendent’s office as Nease steps down at the end of June. Her successor, Mike Leichliter, starts in the central office in July. Currently superintendent in the Penn Manor School District in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Leichliter was hired in February.
Nease said she would share a list of staffing transitions across the school district closer to the end of the school year.
Last day of school
In a separate announcement, Superintendent Brigid Nease confirmed that the last student day for the 2021-22 school year will be Friday, June 10.
Other notable end-of-year dates:
Wednesday, June 8: Brookside Primary School 4th grade graduation
Thursday, June 9: Crossett Brook Middle School 8th grade graduation
Saturday, June 11: Harwood Union High School graduation
Harwood students at the 4th Annual Race Against Racism
Left to right, front: Julia Thurston, Ava Thurston, Anna Alberghini, Ava Poutre, Lucy Sullivan, Dagne Pippenger, Anna Kudriavetz, Libby Spina, Maggie Aiken, Amy Cook, Josie Rand, and Molly Caffry. Back row: Rohin Jordan, Jeswin Antony, Nathan Kudriavetz. Photo by Sarah Milligan
Students from Harwood Union High School took part in the 4th Annual Race Against Racism rally and 5K walk/run last Sunday, May 1, in Montpelier.
Organized by high school students from around the region, the event features speakers, performances, music and food along with the 5K as a way for young people to gather to address racial justice issues in Vermont.
Hoops teams clean up
Along with their coaches and some family members, players for the Harwood Girls and Boys Basketball teams held a fundraiser car wash last weekend at Waterbury Service Center.
With a steady stream of dozens of cars, SUVs and pickups coming through, the cleaning crew raised $1,500. Volunteers also served up hot dogs and refreshments.
The teams are working to raise money for several projects, the first being new team uniforms for Girls Basketball next season. Coach Tommy Young explained that uniforms purchased by the school two years ago have not been a good fit for many players. Rather than wait for the team’s next chance in the athletic department’s rotation to replace them, Young said the players were willing to raise money to do it sooner.
The teams will share the fundraising proceeds, he noted. Anyone wishing to contribute can send a check made to Harwood Basketball and mail to 103 Fox Hollow, Duxbury, VT 05676.