The Oct. 11 Board of Education meeting opened on a solemn note last night, as the room took a minute to honor the passing of HHS graduate Joshua Szeszol. Attendees were reminded that if a student close to them was struggling with mental health issues, they were not alone and should seek out any necessary help. The meeting resumed as usual after a moment of silence.

HHS teacher Anne Sharkey proposed to the board a student trip to Europe that, if approved, will take place in July 2020. The purpose of the trip is to introduce students to a wide variety of cultural traditions, the year’s theme being “Sports and Wellness.”

Ideas for various activities in Barcelona include a bicycle tour of the city and dinner with a local family. Students will also have the opportunity to visit Switzerland for the Global Leadership Conference and the FIFA Museum in Zürich.

Sharkey has had experience with traveling abroad before; she previously attended visits to France, Italy, and China, among other countries.

The cost is of the trip is estimated to be $5,300 per student.

Operations and Maintenance director Doug Renkosik went over the damage to district facilities the night of the Sept. 25 storm. In addition to power outages, HHS had several of its soccer goals thrown into the air and ruined.

On a more lighthearted note, Renkosik mentioned that damage retained on the new roofing was minimal.

“In years past, when we had a storm like this, the shingled roofs at Leggee, Chesak, Martin, and Mackeben would have had large sections disappear, shingles flying through the neighborhood,” said Renkosik. “I’m happy to tell you that’s not the case.”

The district is currently working with its insurance company to investigate any further damages.