High Plain Elementary School celebrated its beloved principal Brenda O'Brien with a grand parade of students, staff and parents last Friday.
O'Brien, who is retiring this year, has served as the founding principal of High Plain Elementary for the past seven years, and has spent 30 years as an educator, at Shawsheen, Bancroft Elementary, and as the head of the health education department.
As O'Brien entered the school's gymnasium she was awestruck as she was crowned as queen of the parade and watched the day's festivities from a throne.
Students from each grade entered the gymnasium performing one of the themes that High Plain Elementary has had during the past seven years. This year's theme "One small step...on the journey of learning" featured this year's kindergarten class, which sang to O'Brien while wearing T-shirts and handmade hats with their own messages. Former High Plain Elementary students who are now attending Wood Hill Middle School attended, also parading and performing for their former principal.
Current staff was able to keep the parade under the radar for weeks, planning for surprise attendance from prior educators and school-community parents.
The event concluded with an honor — an announcement that the school's PTO has partnered with Dollars for Scholars to start a scholarship fund in O'Brien's name.
The Brenda O'Brien Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating Andover High School senior each year, beginning June 2010.
"We know the contributions Brenda made to the town of Andover will continue with this scholarship fund," said the High Plain Elementary PTO executive board, in a letter announcing the scholarship.
"We (the High Plain PTO), have established this scholarship for her and have pledged to keep it going for at least the next 12 years so that a kindergartner here today will be a senior on that 12th year," reported High Plain Elementary PTO Treasurer Joanne Heim.
O'Brien addressed the crowd with a familiar quote, "It's not the number of breaths you take that matter, it's the moments that leave you breathless."
"Brenda has and always will leave the HPE community breathless with her boundless energy, commitment to excellence, and heartfelt dedication to the children of Andover," wrote the PTO in a message describing the day.
To donate to the scholarship fund, send a check, payable to the High Plain Elementary PTO (designate "Brenda O'Brien Scholarship Fund" in the memo line), to: Joanne Heim, PTO treasurer c/o High Plain Elementary ¬� Brenda O'Brien Scholarship Fund 333 High Plain Road Andover, Mass. 01810
