Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • May 22, 2013 Sean Leonard (continued from page 3) and parents are directed to the proper social service agencies, when needed. Leonard will present classes on various topics, including drug education, school violence, bullying, and stranger awareness. He will also handle bicycle and pedestrian safety and conflict resolution between students. In addition, Leonard will assist school officials with safety matters, including lock down drills. He will serve as the liaison between the school and the police, and will provide law enforcement information to students and school personnel. He will also assume primary responsibility for handling calls for service from the school and coordinating the response of other police. Leonard grew up in Ridgewood and is a graduate of Ridgewood High School. He earned an associate degree in law enforcement from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. He earned a bachelor’s degree in police science and a master’s degree in public administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. “I began my career in criminal justice as a police officer in Greenwich, Connecticut in 1989, and commuted from New Jersey. I never wanted to move away from this area,” Leonard said. “I was promoted to the rank of sergeant there in 1999. I transferred to the much smaller town of Ho-HoKus Police Department in 2001. Greenwich was 40 square miles and employed 170 police officers. I wanted to be closer to home as my family was growing.” Leonard and his wife of 19 years, Catherine, have three children who are now 16, 12, and 7. Commenting on the origins of the popular Junior Police Academy program, the new SRO said, “Former Chief (Gregory) Kallenberg asked me to create a police program for the children in town. I met with Sergeant Robert Curtis of the Mahwah Police Department, who was in charge of (Mahwah’s) summer juvenile police academy program at the time, and he guided me in the creation of the Junior Police Academy in 2006. This is always my favorite week of the year! The children in town are terrific and such a pleasure to spend time with.” Leonard has been the juvenile officer for most of his time in Ho-Ho-Kus. He is active at the Ho-Ho-Kus Public School during the school year, teaching classes on drug and alcohol awareness, bullying, Internet safety, stranger danger, and bicycle safety. He also teaches classes at the E.C.L.C School on similar topics. Leonard, who played tennis for Ridgewood and in college, is currently the volunteer varsity tennis coach at Midland Park High School. “I am currently attending Ramapo College, where I am in the process of earning my teaching certification,” he said. “I have maintained my E.M.T. certification for my entire career.” During this spring’s school budget presentation, HoHo-Kus Superintendent Deborah Ferrara explained that the SRO will be trained to interact with the children who attend the district’s only building, the K-8 school on Lloyd Road. The cost of the SRO will be shared by the school and the borough, with $80,000, or two-thirds of the officer’s salary, funded by the board and the balance paid by the borough. The district plans to use $73,346 from “banked cap” to fund most of the cost of the SRO. Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor Thomas Randall previously stated that the SRO would work at the school from September through June and return to regular duty in the summer. The mayor said this arrangement should work out well, as the SRO will be returning to police headquarters at a time when other officers plan their vacations. School and borough officials reported last week that Borough Attorney Dave Bole is now drawing up the agreement concerning the SRO. Two temps Two Ho-Ho-Kus Public School students recently had the opportunity to step into positions of power. Sixth grader Victoria Maung was Superintendent for the Day with the aid of the district’s actual superintendent, Deborah Ferrara (top photo). Simas Chacar-Palubinskas, a seventh grader, was Principal for the Day with the support of Principal Alexis Eckert (above). Both the superintendent and principal provided the morning announcements, welcomed kindergarten parents to the kindergarten spring conference, toured the building and visited classrooms to ask for student input regarding areas for change, and met with administrators to review student suggestions and provide input. They also invited friends for a working lunch at Sicilian Sun. These opportunities were auction items at the annual Ho-Ho-Kus Education Foundation Dinner Dance. The Ho-Ho-Kus Education Foundation, which recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary, raises funds to support enhanced programs and events at the public school without the use of taxpayers’ dollars.