Outgoing board members praised as New London Board recognizes students and employees

The New London Board of Education recognized Students of the Month and Employees of the Quarter from schools across the district and received farewell remarks from two outgoing board members at its Nov. 24 business meeting.

The board honored nominees from each school, including Annie Hilaire (Early Childhood Center at B.P. Mission), Riley Garcia (Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School), Iker Roman Alvarez (Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School), Scarlett Maria Isabel Tzalam Cuyuch (C.B. Jennings International Elementary), Jheykor Peña Abreu (Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School), and Kenneth Willoughby (New London High School). Central Office Employee of the Quarter was named as Tyre Blackman. The recognitions covered both certified and non‑certified staff members and students across the district; the meeting record notes that full lists are part of the official minutes.

During board comments, Alisha Blake said serving on the board the last two years "has been a great time in her life," noted she had been the only parent of current students on the board during her term and called serving as a parent on the board "prohibitively difficult" for many parents. Nathan Caron reflected on memorable moments from his tenure, including listening to a student speaker at an adult education graduation and the challenges and rewards of working with staff and leadership. Other board members thanked Blake and Caron for their service and congratulated newly elected members who will be sworn in.

The meeting also included presentations on athletics and after‑school programs; full presentations are available on request from the district. No public comments were recorded at the meeting, which adjourned at 9:00 p.m.