EASTON — Hundreds of teachers and staff gathered in the Easton High School auditorium Thursday morning to celebrate the dawn of a new school year.
Talbot County Public Schools hosted its annual Opening Day celebration, welcoming new teachers and presenting staff members with special awards before school begins Monday. Bands from the district’s schools joined together to welcome staff, and many other students performed and introduced speakers for the gathering.
Jeremy Hillyard, the district’s 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year, and Rosario Steele, the district’s 2024-2025 Support Staff of the Year, were each presented with a 2025 Chevrolet Trax from Hertrich Chevy Buick GMC of Easton.
General Manager Pat Papineau thanked Hillyard, Steele and all of the district’s teachers for their dedication to their professions.
“I imagine that a lot of people think that your guys’ job starts a few minutes before the kids get there and ends a few minutes after the kids leave,” Papineau said. “That couldn’t be farther from the truth. … It’s pretty much nonstop. You’re continuously trying to improve yourself, you’re continuously investing in yourself, you’re continuously investing in your students.”
Hillyard, a Spanish and English second language math teacher at Easton High, and Steele, an instructional assistant for English second language students, both delivered speeches to the crowd.
“Each of us in this room plays an important role in our students’ stories,” Hillyard said. “And it’s our job and up to us to make that role a supporting one by always having their backs.”
“This job has been the most rewarding experience in my life,” Steele said. “I have witnessed those students that start as ninth graders with very little English inspire me when I see them in the community after graduation.”
Many other awards were handed out during the event. AJ Rojas, the district’s facilitator of interpretation and translation, was presented with the Wardell Brine Multicultural Award. Robin Werner, director of teaching and learning, was named winner of the Brewster Merrill Technology Award.
Named after a past superintendent, the J. Sam Meek Unsung Hero Award was presented to three staff members: Charlotte Compton and Heather Ewing, teachers at Easton Elementary, and George Larrimore, a bus driver since 2010.
MOVING FORWARDDistrict Superintendent Sharon Pepukayi closed Thursday morning’s festivities with a speech indicating major areas for the district to focus on. Some examples were staffing, transportation, dress code and student behavior.
“I believe in bite-sized chunks and taking it slow, so that it’s not a lot and it doesn’t seem overwhelming,” Pepukayi said.
She noted that adding mentors for incoming teachers and math coaches has been successful for the district. Pepukayi said the district will begin working on a new four-year strategic plan, as the current plan wraps up in 2025.
At the end of her speech, Pepukayi indicated the district is maintaining its three priorities of improvement heading into the 2024-2025 school year: academic equity in math, an “engaging” environment for students and staff, and recruiting and retaining a more diverse staff.
“We’re going to stay the course with these three priorities as we continue to move into this next year of transforming and performing together,” Pepukayi said.
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