Yet another school year has flown by, and the school board elections are upon us again. The school board election is somewhat more important to me than even our local government elections, in its immediacy, in the way that it affects my children directly, daily; and that the outcome of the election (and the budget vote!) has the potential to “help them or hurt them” as they apply to colleges in the near future.
Both of my children will be attending the Hicksville High School next year, one graduating and one just beginning. They have been in the district since kindergarten, and though all the school years are important, I find myself even more attentive to school policies and elections during their last few years in Hicksville Schools.
Therefore, I need someone on the school board that I can truly respect and trust – that I know, without a shadow of a doubt, will be working hard not only for my children, but for the district as a whole. That is why I shall be voting 3A – Joanne Owens, for board trustee on May 19.
I have observed Mrs. Owens over my 12-year association with the Hicksville School District. I first came in contact with her when she was the quintessential “class mom” of my daughter’s pre-school. She has impressed me ever since. From my perspective, Mrs. Owens has proven herself to be a highly active and influential individual, both as a parent, and later on as an advocate for all children.
In all the years that I have known her, it is her consistency that amazes me. Whether she is the treasurer of a Girl Scout troop or the deputy district treasurer, the same amount of commitment and care is given to her duties. Whether she is a chairperson for a PTA committee, Girl Scouts, SEPTA, the curriculum committee or the policy committee – the same dedication is put forth, the same question is asked. “Is this in the best interest of the children?” If the answer is yes, her passion and commitment take over and somehow or other she achieves her goal… always with the focus being on service. How she maintains that level of energy and dedication over so many years is beyond me… I’d like to bottle it!
I have also found Mrs. Owens a master organizer, an unrelenting advocate and an amazing networker – something that is so difficult for me personally, and so I admire it all the more. If you need assistance or more appropriately if your child needs anything, then Joanne Owens will either help you personally, or she will know the exact person who can. Time and time again I have seen her do this, on a personal level and in committees, offering help freely – her mind only on the greater good, on service – a rare gem these days.
I have always found Joanne Owens to be truly genuine… one of the very few individuals that I can say, in all honesty, that I admire. I would like to take this opportunity to say how personally grateful I am for her dedication and for her service in all the committees she has served on over the years, as well as the school board, not only because my children have always directly benefited from her long, and often unrecognized, labors, but also because she is a wonderful, tangible, personal role model for my girls.
I urge the community to vote for Joanne Owens on May 19, for someone who is obviously working to the very best of her ability, so that she may continue to work in the arena that best suits her skills, temperament and passions.
Cynthia Glynn
