What a fun celebration of “Miss Debbie Hall Day” at Big Cross!! Students, family members, colleagues, and friends gathered today to celebrate Principal Debbie Hall and wish her well before she retires on June 30th.
During a fabulous morning assembly, right after a heart-warming and funny look back at the many lives Miss Hall has touched in her career, Mayor Collins read a proclamation designating today as Miss Hall’s official day! A new basketball hoop and commemorative tree are being donated to the school in honor of her 29 years with the district in roles that have also included chief information officer, teacher, job coach and director of the 21st Century Learning grant.
Miss Hall was a student at Big Cross from 1972 to 1979, and during her high school years she was an active student-athlete, playing field hockey, volleyball, basketball and softball. She also was a member of the National Honor Society. She graduated from Glens Falls High School in 1985.
After graduating in 1989 from St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, where she played Division II basketball for all four years, she pursued a master’s degree in education and was hired as a kindergarten teacher at Jackson Heights in the fall of 1996.
She began teaching second grade at Jackson Heights in 1997, and she coached Glens Falls girls’ basketball from 1998 to 2004. She left in 2005 to pursue a degree in administration, which she completed in 2009.
During that time, she was working in Glens Falls Schools as the administrator of the 21st century grant and then, as director of technology. In 2009, she became principal of Big Cross and made it her mission to know the name of every single child at the school.
Many of those students (former and current!), families, and community members continued the celebration this evening at the “Big Cross Bash,” with music, games, ice cream, and many well-wishes for Miss Hall. THANK YOU for the incredible ways you’ve shaped so many lives, Miss Hall!!
Tribute video produced by Miss Amanda Burt