By Lianna Albrizio
Northern Valley Suburbanite
The Harrington Park Public School likes to live up to its, “Leading the way” and on June 20, the k-8 school recognized Angela C. Santomero, co-writer of the Emmy award-winning children’s television show, “Blues Clues,” as the latest Circle of Leadership inductee during the school’s moving up ceremony.
“I am so honored to be here,” she said. “There’s something in the water in Harrington Park.”
In celebration of the school’s tradition in the development of student leadership, the Circle of Leadership was established in 2006 to honor exemplary former students and community members’ accomplishments.
In his address, Superintendent Adam Fried sited persistence, courage and honesty as key components of leadership qualities.
“The idea of being ‘all in’ is about the total commitment to being the very best you can be,” Fried told the students.
A member of the class of 1982, Santomero is someone who Fried feels embodies this idea.
In her remarks, the soft-spoken mother of two shared the secret of her success with the eighth-grade class, attributing her love of reading, journaling adventures and her concern for student potential as the basis for her vision for her shows.
Santomero is also the creator, executive producer and head writer of “Super WHY!,” a preschool program for PBS Kids that helps build literacy skills. The show has received a Ready to Learn Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the federal Department of Education.
“I want you guys to look around and think about who’s going to be standing here 30 years from now talking and inspiring,” Santomero said to the students.
“And remember that when you use your mind and take a step at a time, you can do anything that you want to do.”
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