Happy Retirement, Heidi Huber-Stein!

Mrs. Stein with a card signed by Riverside students. Photo credit: Manchester Community Schools.

by Melissa Licavoli

Manchester Community Schools counselor Heidi Huber-Stein is retiring at the end of this school year. This is an interview with her:

How long have you worked at Manchester Community Schools?

I worked as a [substitute teacher], paraprofessional, and even taught night school here in Manchester for a couple of years before finding a full-time teaching job in California and then up north. I was hired as a fifth-grade teacher for the 2000–2001 school year, and taught fifth grade in Manchester for four years. I believe this is my 24th year as a full-time educator at Manchester.

What brought you into being a counselor?

When it came time to start earning the credits required to renew my original teacher certificate, I decided to take an Introduction to School Counseling course at CMU. As I learned more about the role of a school counselor, the idea of supporting students from a holistic perspective, such as academic learning, their social-emotional needs, and work toward setting students up with as many choices as possible for their future after school, resonated with me right away.

Have your positions as counselor and trustee at the CRC been connected in any way? If so, can you tell me a little bit about how you see MCS and the CRC working together?

I became the school liaison and a trustee with the CRC while others, Pastor Pete Harris, specifically, brought the idea of sending food home with students on the weekends. Pastor Pete and Siobhan Gorman and I worked together to begin the program that came to be called Weekend Kids Meals. My role was to help communicate to families that the program was available and help with the enrollment process.

Being a trustee with the CRC helped me be more aware about all the services and supports offered. I felt more prepared to provide families with enrollment packets to the CRC and talk about the support available in the community. Having Kathy Walz at the CRC to see students for short-term mental health support was also a resource we used.

What do you hope for in the future for Manchester Schools?

This is a thought-provoking question. Not to go too deep, but when I think of my hopes for MCS, I think of my hopes for myself, our country, and mankind. I believe we are more alike than we are different. Even when we have different viewpoints, we can work to listen to understand one another better. Opening our minds to really think about others’ viewpoints and use critical thinking to make decisions will help foster creative and out-of-the-box solutions. I would love to see more of this from everyone, including helping our students to develop and practice these skills. “It takes a village” is a cliché because it is true. Our community and schools need people to stay involved and informed for us to continue to evolve.

[Manchester] is a great community. There are so many skilled and dedicated staff at MCS, that I am confident and optimistic about the future of the district. I hope the work continues to meet the needs of our individual students with the whole-person perspective that brought me to school counseling.

What are you looking forward to in your retirement?

I am looking forward to having a flexible schedule. I will be helping my husband more at The Village Tap. I am also starting an online wellness-coaching business to help others reach their fitness goals while working on improving their relationship with food and exercise.

Anything else you would like to say to the community?

I am so grateful to have grown up in Manchester, remain part of the community, as well as raise our son here. Manchester has so many caring and generous people who are committed to keeping Manchester a welcoming and supportive community.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.