HP_071119

18 | July 11, 2019 | The highland park landmark news
hplandmark.com
2019
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HPHS principal prepares for second
year, first with permanent position
Erin Yarnall, Editor
At the start of last summer,
Debby
Finn, the
math chair
at Highland
Park High
School, was
named interim
principal
of the
Finn
school, while the district
searched for a replacement
after principal Elizabeth
Perez Robertson became
District 113’s assistant superintendent
of curriculum
and instruction last July.
“The school year had
pretty much ended, and
then we heard that our
principal was moving to
the administration building,
so it wasn’t like there
was a lot of processing
time,” Finn said. “Some of
my colleagues encouraged
me to consider it and I love
that they have faith in me
in that regard.”
Finn was chosen to
serve as the principal of
the school for the 2018-
2019 school year.
Prior to that, Finn
worked in Township High
School District 113 for
more than two decades.
After graduating from
college, the Deerfield High
band
From Page 6
a joyous reunion where
he was finally able to play
with his son and his son’s
long-time friend for the
first time.
“They [were] so excited
and I am just beside
myself because my son
and my son’s best friend
[played] with the band,”
Mark Hill said. “It’s just
School graduate worked in
Boston for a year before
returning to D113.
“When I was teaching
in Boston it was lovely,”
Finn said. “It was a similar
suburban community
school, but [District 113]
is like nothing I’ve ever
experienced from an educator’s
perspective as
far as the success of our
school.”
Finn worked as an aide
at Highland Park High
School before teaching
at Deerfield for 12 years.
Then she returned to
HPHS as the math department
chair for 10 years
before becoming interim
principal.
She said one of the
things that has kept her in
the district for so long is
the drive of the students.
“When we talk about
a love of learning — I’m
not saying every kid
would walk in my math
class thrilled to be there,
but they sure were invested
in the idea of working
with me, and learning and
growing,” Finn said. “The
kids are tremendous, I
can’t say enough about it.”
One of the most difficult
aspects of transitioning to
principal for Finn has been
not being able to be in a
serendipitous that everything
[came] together to
work out.”
Plotkin reiterated the
significance of the performance
for the two childhood
friends.
“The Beatles are super
fun to play and everyone
knows the Beatles, it’s going
to be a really fun time,”
Plotkin said. “This will be
an experience because we
haven’t jammed or played
classroom with students
every day.
“I have to really make
sure I’m making connections
with kids, because
I don’t have that natural
classroom connection with
them,” Finn said.
But Finn has learned
to adapt to the new job
— with some of the highlights
including classroom
observations.
“It’s real easy to brag
about HPHS,” Finn said.
“I’ve always known the
kids, the parents and the
community to be great,
and I’ve heard great things
about the school, but I
haven’t really been in our
social studies classrooms,
and world language classrooms.
I’m not kidding
when I say it’s tremendous.”
A difference for Finn between
last summer and this
year is the preparation she
will undetake for her job.
“i think the hard part
of interim-anything is it’s
hard to make long-term
plans,” Finn said. “Some
of the vision ideas and
where we go as a staff,
and bringing together the
administrative team is the
goal of the summer. I’m
really looking forward to
this summer.”
together in music outside
of school ever.”
This is the 32nd year
that Dr. Mark and the Sutures
have played together
and the first time they have
played in the parade. Dr.
Mark and the Sutures anchored
the last float.
“It’s almost like a homecoming
for us to be asked
to do this again and to be
able to rock it,” Plotkin
said.