Dear Editor:
On behalf of the Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa) Board of Trustees and school community, I would like to thank everyone who supported us through our school’s recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The entire first floor of the building we share with the Boys & Girls Club was devastated by the storm. In addition to replacing all of the furniture and materials that were lost and working with the Boys & Girls Club and the City to restore the facility itself, our priority was to get our students back into classrooms and learning as quickly as possible. Parents, staff and community members alike pitched in to facilitate our efforts through furniture loans, hours spent cleaning and moving equipment, donations of funds and materials, and infinite patience and good will. The leadership of New Jersey Commissioner of Education Chris Cerf and Hudson County Superintendent of Schools Monica Tone was instrumental in facilitating immediate action with minimal bureaucracy to ensure that students’ needs were prioritized, and in encouraging collaboration between charter schools, public school districts and non-profit organizations at the local level.
In particular, I would also like to thank The Boys & Girls Club for their ongoing support and partnership, and for the speed with which they undertook repairs to the building; the City of Hoboken for assisting with clean-up and recovery efforts; and The Jubilee Center and The Hoboken Public Schools for graciously housing our students and teachers while they were displaced from their own classrooms. A huge thank you to Executive Director Gary Greenberg, The Boys & Girls Club Staff and Board of Trustees; Mayor Dawn Zimmer; Health & Human Services Director Leo Pelligrini; Hoboken Public Schools Superintendent Mark Toback; Hoboken Public Schools Director of Facilities Tim Calligy; and Armstead Johnson, Craig Mainor and Reverend Geoff Curtiss of The Jubilee Center. The efficiency of our school’s recovery is a testament to the generosity of our community and to the strength and combined potential of our public and non-profit sectors in action. Happy New Year!
Jennifer Hindman Sargent
President, HoLa Board of Trustees