Lehigh Valley superintendents are mindful that running a school district means drawing on an extended circle of support.<\/p>\n
When The Morning Call asked school leaders what they\u2019re thankful for this school year, they spoke of the many people they rely on to execute their duties.<\/p>\n
Here are their responses.<\/p>\n
Lynn Fuini-Hetten, who joined Salisbury School District in 1995 as a middle school teacher and has served as superintendent since 2021, extended gratitude to both her own family and her work family.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonally, I\u2019m deeply thankful for my family and friends for their love, patience, and support through every season. They remind me daily of what truly matters: laughter around the dinner table, shared stories, and time together. Their encouragement keeps me grounded and grateful, no matter how busy life gets,\u201d Fuini-Hetten said.<\/p>\n
\u201cProfessionally, I\u2019m thankful for the dedicated Salisbury faculty and staff, supportive families, and inspiring students who make our schools such special places to learn and grow. Each day, I\u2019m reminded of the power of teamwork, compassion, and purpose. It\u2019s a privilege to serve alongside people so committed to helping every student succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whitehall-Coplay\u2019s Chris Schiffert, a former Whitehall High School principal who became superintendent a year ago, said he\u2019s most thankful for the commitment and resilience district staff members have shown.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith so much constant change and challenge, our teachers, administrators, and support personnel from maintenance to transportation consistently rise to the occasion. The dedication of our district staff goes well beyond the classroom to ensure that every student is supported, feels safe, and is engaged,\u201d Schiffert said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love seeing so much collective energy, professionalism, and genuine care for our school community. I am extremely appreciative of our staff\u2019s hard work; they are dedicated professionals who take every positive step forward on behalf of our students, and it is truly inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n
District staff were also foremost in the thoughts of Northampton Area Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik, who has led the district for more than 15 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter 35 years in the Northampton Area School District as an employee, and as Superintendent of Schools for the past 16 years, I have much to be thankful for. What I am most grateful for are the relationships that I have developed with the students, staff, and community over the years,\u201d Kovalchik said. \u201cThose relationships have cultivated much success for our students and overall community which is the ultimate goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parkland Superintendent Mark Madson also recognized his staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am thankful to be part of such a remarkably caring, supportive, and giving school community. \u200bThe dedication and compassion demonstrated by everyone within the Parkland School District is truly special. The community constantly amazes me with the care shown for each other, the genuine acceptance of everyone, and support provided for our kids. #Parklandpride,\u201d Madson said.<\/p>\n
Keeping district staff united behind a shared vision turns goals into daily realities, said Southern Lehigh Superintendent Karen Trinkle, who took over the top role this summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis unity allows us to implement strategic initiatives. We are consistently reminded that when our students win, we win, with rich opportunities that showcase diverse talents,\u201d Trinkle said. \u201cSeeing their accomplishments, showcasing creativity through the arts, breaking athletic records, achieving top statewide rankings, or making positive strides in the classroom, this is the ultimate reward and the fuel for our daily efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Northwestern Lehigh Superintendent Jennifer Holman said the school board has been a key partner in supporting students.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Northwestern Lehigh, we have much to be thankful for this school year. I\u2019m grateful for our teachers, administrators, and staff whose dedication makes our schools places of learning, stability, and care. Our students and families continually inspire us with their resilience, curiosity, and kindness,\u201d Holman said. \u201cI\u2019m also thankful for our Board of Directors for their steady leadership and commitment to putting students first, as well as our community partners whose trust and collaboration strengthen all we do. Together, we remain grounded and united in supporting every child\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several superintendents sent their gratitude out to the community at large.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am endlessly thankful for the richness and generosity of the Bethlehem community toward BASD schools,\u201d Bethlehem Area Superintendent Jack Silva said. \u201cBASD schools are of, by, and for our community \u2014 and the resulting culture is cherished by students, families, and BASD faculty and staff. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the BASD community!!\u201d<\/p>\n
Catasauqua Area Superintendent Christina Lutz-Doemling, who has been with the district for more than 21 years and superintendent for two years, said she\u2019s grateful for the opportunity to be of service.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am thankful for the privilege to serve the students, families, and larger Catasauqua educational community. Additionally, I am grateful for our dedicated students and so proud of their academic\/athletic achievements, leadership, and community involvement,\u201d Lutz-Doemling said. \u201cFurthermore, I feel blessed to work with such an incredible Catasauqua Area School District Team \u2013 School Board, Administration, Faculty, Staff, and Community Partners. It\u2019s always a great day to be a Rough Rider. Go Roughs!\u201d<\/p>\n
Saucon Valley Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty, an administrator with the district since 2018, echoed those sentiments.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Thanksgiving, my heart is full of genuine gratitude for the profound privilege of serving the Saucon Valley School District \u2014 a community defined by its strength, pride and spirit-backed by a tradition of academic distinction. It is humbling to lead a district where everyone \u2014 from our unified School Board to our dedicated administration, teachers and staff \u2014 shares unwavering Panther Passion,\u201d Vlasaty said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo witness our collective pursuit directly translate into brighter futures and academic excellence for every child is, quite simply, the most rewarding experience an educator could ever ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lehigh Valley superintendents are mindful that running a school district means drawing on an extended circle of support.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46105,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[119,121,120,227,182,139,432],"class_list":{"0":"post-46104","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-allentown","8":"tag-allentown","9":"tag-allentown-headlines","10":"tag-allentown-news","11":"tag-education","12":"tag-local-news","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-top-stories-tmc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46104\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}