
“I was unable to make it to today’s Hawes HSA meeting with HyunJu as my children are sick, however I sent a letter in my stead. I know HyunJu represented us well, and her posting sure shows that! I have pasted below my letter to the Hawes HSA for everyone.”
“Kelly,
I am so sorry I will not be able to make tomorrow’s meeting. I was looking forward to speaking with you and the rest of the Hawes HSA. I know that HyunJu will be there representing myself and Mr. Dani as well.
Briefly about me, I am a dad to two young boys, one at Glen School and the other at Travel. I have been a Police Officer in Ridgewood for 16 years, so you may have seen me in and out of Hawes as we do school checks often. I have a great relationship with Dr. Semendinger, who in my opinion, is one of the best principals in Ridgewood. I grew up in Ridgewood, even though I went to Somerville, I have some of the best memories of my Dad at Dad’s night, and I was lucky enough to work the curtains for a few shows way back when. I remember when my friends who were once going to Glen School, had to get bused to Hawes. That was an interesting time! I think my only home run in little league was on on the field in the back of Hawes! I also might be the only one who remembers when Hawes was on Sesame Street back in 1993! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRMoRUV96w)
Myself, Mr. Dani, and Ms. Kwak have formed a team that we want to get things done. We are all pretty different, but share the same goal, making Ridgewood schools better. Back in September, Mr. Dani and I applied for the open seat on the board. Even though we were not ultimately picked, we realized that we needed to work together to get things done for our students. You can see our interview and comments online.
My focus is on school safety and security, most notable in physical security where our children need to be safe to learn and in cyber security, as I am a subject matter expert. I have gone to multiple elementary schools in Ridgewood teaching our youth about the dangers of what is lurking online, something I unfortunately know all to much about. Lastly, I believe in our kids. I have a special needs student currently at the RED program, and special education is near and dear to my heart. I feel that Dave Tashian and the work that he and his team are doing at your school is so important for everyone. I would love to hear your feedback on the program and any others.
So in conclusion, I want to make our kids safe and prepared. The elementary school children are so important, we need to prepare them to be the leaders I know they can be. This is such a crucial time in their development and I want to make sure they get every opportunity.
Thank you and again I sincerely apologize for not making to your meeting, but I am always available if you have any comments or concerns. That goes for if I get elected as well! I love hearing everyone’s ideas.”
Mike Lembo
He’s a great guy. Good luck Mike.
I think Mike Lembo would make an amazing addition to the BOE. He is thoughtful, hardworking and is always looking to help and make things better!