Superintedent's Conference kicks off 2025 - 2026 school year

T’was the day before school, and all through the district, faculty and staff were preparing their classrooms to welcome the kids in! Individuals throughout the Chester Union Free School District were gearing up for the 2025 - 2026 school year on Tuesday during Superintendent’s Conference Day.

The morning began with a greeting from Superintendent Catherine O’Hara to the audience. She spoke about the impact staff make in the lives of students and shared the mantra for the school year: “Purpose, Passion, Pride.”

“There's always a special energy in the air on opening day, and it's a perfect moment to give a heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you…” said Ms. O’Hara. “This year we're centered on three simple but powerful words that capture who we are and how we work together: purpose, passion, and pride.”

John Flanagan, Principal of Chester Academy and Principal of Chester Elementary School Mary Kate Boesch then stood at the podium to introduce new staff, sharing background information and fun facts about each person.

Ms. O'Hara then recognized employees who have reached significant milestones, such as working in the district for 10, 15, 20 and 25 years.

She continued to discuss goals, objectives and highlights for the year. She touched upon the status of the Safety Capital Project and the numerous upgrades across all facilities.

Director of Data & Technology Management and Data Protection Officer, Daniel Svarczkopf, presented to the audience about Synergy, a new program that will be utilized by staff to track attendance, assignments, test grades and more. Mr. Svarczkopf took the time to show employees how to navigate the system and answer any questions.

​Audience members also learned about additional technology updates, such as Parent Square communication and Aristotle, another platform to help staff with classroom management and incident reporting.

​The day continued with a safety presentation from Matthew DeRosa, Director of Facilities. He highlighted the protocol for safety drills and important updates for staff regarding their IDs.

​Individuals then heard from their respective school principals, who went over topics relevant to their schools, such as the state-mandated personal device policy that will be enforced. To read more about the district’s policy, click here.

​“I'll be honest; I love what I do and I hope you all love what you do,” said John Flanagan. “It is a great profession. We have a profound impact on kids, and, you know, that’s an awesome responsibility.” 

​The afternoon concluded with teachers setting up their classrooms to welcome students for the first day of school. They also spent time working on professional development and other training, such as mental health awareness.