GALWAY–When word got out that the Board was considering the elimination of the school psychologist and social worker positions, held by Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt, many people made clear that this was not an acceptable option for the district. The April 18 Board meeting was well attended by community members, students, teachers and administrators who were ready to make clear to the Board that Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt are indispensable members of the Galway family. District Treasurer Tim Hilker made clear at the start of his budget presentation that they had looked at the possibility of outsourcing their positions, but realized this was not a good choice. The audience broke into spontaneous applause, and a wave of relief passed through the crowd. Board member Mr. Rumsey noted the applause, and reminded the audience of the importance of this budget vote. If the public doesn’t vote for the budget, then they will have to look at making hard cuts.

Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt were so touched by the outpouring of support, that they filmed a short thank you to the district that was shown on GTV this morning. After thanking everybody, Mr. Huszar reminded everybody the power of words, and that people should speak nicely to each other all the time. Mr. Huszar then offered popcorn to all the students that supported them, telling the E-Way store to put the students’ popcorn “on his tab.” According to sources, Mr. Swain was “running around like a headless chicken,” and 81 bags of popcorn were given away.

A full schedule
There is no doubt now that the Galway community appreciates Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt and all they do. Do you know what they do for our district? Here are just some of their responsibilities:
• Caseload of special education/504 students who receive weekly counseling on their IEP/504 plans
• Non-identified students seek and require a lot of time for counseling as well
• Crisis intervention for students with issues related to suicide, cutting, child abuse, physical fights, and bullying
• Relationship and rapport with all of the families of the IEP/504 students, as well as any other student in need
• Liaison to outside providers (counselors, doctors) so they know what is going on with students here at school
• Deal with child abuse issues; sit in on all child abuse interviews with DSS and assist teachers with making hotline calls
• Facilitate the district’s Safe and Drug Free Committee
• DASA coordinators for the elementary school – investigate reported bullying incidents in the elementary school
• Coordinate and organize the district’s Banana Splits program
• Present some of the prevention programs to students in classroom (WAVE, peer mediation program, YelloDyno)
• Conduct Psychological Evaluations with any student who is suspected of needing services
• Conduct classroom observations of students as well as assessments
• After school group for at risk students
• Consult with members of school (teachers, admin., aide, etc) in the areas of learning, behavior, possible services, brainstorming ideas etc.
• Chair annual review meetings from Feb-June
• Push into Health Class to discuss depression and coping skills
• Kindergarten Screening team member

Helping others
Many students have been helped by Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt. When they heard that their positions were at risk, some students wrote letters to the Board. A few teachers were ready to present letters as well. Since the Board made the announcement that their positions were safe, the letters were not formally presented, but we’d like to share some of the ideas here.

Elijah Ryle: Both Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt go above and beyond for us and our families. Some of us students only trust Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt. I believe that 99.9% of the students that talk to Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt will agree with me, so if the students always matter, or if it’s what’s best, I would say keep Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt because it won’t be the same without them.

Alexandra Trosan: Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt have helped me and a lot of kids through hard times. Almost a year ago, they helped me through some major issues, and they helped me get myself back on track. They are there when I need to vent. Galway loves Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt!

Abby VanDorn: Mr. Huszar has not only helped me personally, but has helped people close to me. Mr. Huszar is always there if you’re having a bad day or just need someone to talk to. Mr. Huszar is someone you can go to even if you don’t know him or have ever talked to him. We need the support of someone who knows us and truly cares about the students in this school.

Nick Prendergast: Mr. Huszar is there for everybody, no judgment. I was going through stressful times not knowing what to do, and he helped me get rid of the stress and he changed the way I think for the better. He is always there for everybody, always helping, and really likes working with us and helping as much as he can. When my friends go through are going through tough situations, I take what he told me and try to help my friends with it. He is always on the go, helping kids and observing how people act, making sure nobody is getting bullied or treated unfairly. He helps make kids stronger physically, mentally and emotionally. We need him!

Mrs. Gerber: They are both an important part of my job. I teach a skills based curriculum. As a class we discuss into many different life situations like decision making, stress and relationship management, communication…and as we dive deeper into these topics our students open up. I have sent countless students to Andy and Christine who are dealing with a variety of issues like anxiety, parent issues, suicide and cutting. Andy and Christine are invaluable to our school community. Their presence and support allow me to do my job more effectively because I can depend on them to handle some of the issues that arise during health class.

Mrs. Ostrander: I cannot count the number of times students come to me with issues – issues that prevent them from focusing in class. I am a good listener, but there are many times I feel I am not qualified to help them. There’s only so much I can do. So I call or email Andy or Christine and they are able to see my students, that day or first thing the next day. They are able to help my students, to get through the day, to offer alternatives and ideas to solve the issues that arise.

Thank you Mr. Huszar and Mrs. Bornt (for the popcorn!) and all you do!