Rockville Centre
HERALD Mailman retires after 40 years
RVC native releases book
Rec center holds summer camp
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VOL. 31 NO. 28
JULY 9 - 15, 2020
RVC welcomes new schools superintendent cate to Rockville Centre. The Rockville Centre district, he said, would continuously June Chang became superin- monitor the progression of the tendent of the Rockville Centre coronavirus crisis and “look to School District last week, taking the guidance of our public over at a time of uncertainty health and safety agencies in all amid the coronavirus pandemic, our decisions throughout this but coming in with an initial pandemic.” outline of the disOver the next few trict’s plans for the weeks, he explained, fall, as well as a rethe administration entry plan for staff and staff will take over the summer. part in a series of Administrative staff planning sessions began returning to that focus on safety, school buildings this instruction, socialweek, and will begin emotional learning preparing for the and mental health, 2020-21 academic and cocur ricular year. activities. Addition“We’re taking a ally, the Board of methodical ap-proEducation will creach,” Chang said, ate a reopening comnoting that safety mittee, with subcommeasures are in mittees focusing on place that include JUNE CHANG each of those four social distancing Superintendent, areas. and alter nating “Safety is our RVC Schools work days in the first and foremost buildings. “In order concer n,” Chang to have success for our students, said. “Regardless of the direcwe need to lay the foundation for tives that may change, we will our staff as well.” have our key focus on the safety The 40-year-old Chang, whose measures that we need to follow salary will be $290,000, was the and implement to provide a safe superintendent of Summit Pub- environment for all students and lic Schools in New Jersey for the members of the school district.” past five years before coming to Additionally, he said, the disRockville Centre. He earned a trict is committed to “the quality bachelor’s in English from Rut- educational experience for all ger’s University, a master’s in our students.” education from St. Peter’s Uni“The pandemic has put us in versity and an MBA from unusual circumstances,” Chang Columbia Business School. He said. “We will reflect and learn and his wife, Sophia, plan to reloCONTINUED ON PAGE 3
By JILL NOSSA
jnossa@liherald.com
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Christina Daly/Herald
THREE MURALS, CREATED in separate community projects, were installed on July 1 in the Mercy Medical Center employee cafeteria as a way to thank front-line workers.
At Mercy Medical Center, murals of hope and thanks By JILL NOSSA jnossa@liherald.com
Soon after the coronavirus pandemic hit the area in March, residents be g an dreaming up thoughtful and creative ways to show their support and appreciation for hospital workers on the front lines. Most of it came in the form of food, masks and car parades, but as the crisis wore on, community members sought a more permanent way to say thank you. Rock-
ville Centre resident Beth H a m m e r m a n , a fo r m e r Mercy Medical Center employee, decided that art would be a nice to way to show appreciation, in the form of a tile mural for the hospital employees, which was installed on July 1. “I wanted to create a lasting memory, something that hopefully would be there forever, so no one would ever forget what the employees went through during this pandemic,” Hammerman said. “They
risked their own lives to save others, and that should never be forgotten.” She envisioned something similar to the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan — something that the public could see, and that would help people remember what happened during the pandemic. Hammer man, who was Mercy’s director of planning from 1994 until 2014, said she wanted to focus on health CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
t is prudent for us as a district to begin planning while awaiting further directives from state and local officials.