Russian Delegation Comes to Hen Hud

On March 2, a small delegation from Russia visited Hendrick Hudson High School. The goal of the visit was to share information about substance abuse prevention programming here in our District.

Student Assistance Services Corporation (SAS), which provides our high school and middle school with counselors, helped to arrange the visit, along with Sharon Irving of the Cortlandt Rotary as part of Rotary’s Open World exchange program. The Russian group included a high school Physical Education teacher, a child psychiatrist, a fund raiser for a non-profit organization, a business person, a PhD, a facilitator, an interpreter, and Ms. Irving. They visited the Town of Cortlandt Coalition and several treatment programs in Westchester, including the VA hospital in Montrose.

Ellen Morehouse, Executive Director of SAS, recalled, “The meeting with the Russian group went very well. [HHHS Principal] Jim Mackin did a fabulous job hosting the group and explaining how the program works with the school. Angela Alvarado, the Student Assistance Counselor, Scott Perlman, a health teacher, and a Hen Hud student who is active in the school’s SADD (Students against Destructive Decisions) Club also did a great job explaining all the different strategies that the school uses to prevent substance abuse.”

Mr. Mackin gave the group a tour so they could see the Student Assistance Counselor’s office, the Health Teacher’s classroom and other areas of the school. The Russian visitors were extremely interested in everyone’s presentations, asked many questions and stayed much longer than was planned.”

The visit to Hendrick Hudson allowed the group to see an American high school up close, hear how an effective program works, and meet some of their American counterparts.

Photo Caption: Russian visitors with High School leaders at Hendrick Hudson High School in early March.