BAY HEAD — Teachers are some of the most influential people in a young person’s life, and one of the most influential teachers of Bay Head School was Thomas Kennedy, social studies and math teacher.
Five years ago, Kennedy, known among the student body as Mr. K, retired from Bay Head School. Kennedy began teaching at Bay Head School on Sept. 1, 1999, and retired in 2019. Most of his time at the school, he worked as a social studies teacher for middle schoolers.
Mayor Bill Curtis presented Kennedy with a proclamation declaring June 30, 2025 to be Thomas Kennedy Day in Bay Head.
The mayor admitted that this proclamation is overdue, but was delayed due to the pandemic. However, when the mayor read this proclamation to Kennedy, the gymnasium was packed with fellow educators and former students in celebration.
“Thomas Kennedy has done a lot of good work with the town of Bay Head and that is very important to us. The students he taught, mentored have learned an awful lot from him,” said the mayor. “You have meant a lot to me personally in the town of Bay Head, especially since I became mayor.”
One of the reasons the mayor shares a special place in his heart for Kennedy was Government Day. This was an idea that Kennedy came up with in which students would shadow members of the Bay Head council for a day in municipal hall, learning about the ins and outs of local government. This would lead to the students holding a council meeting, prior to the real borough’s council meeting, as they took what they learned to try to solve a problem that is facing Bay Head.
Mayor Curtis further said, “For many people, a mentor is a figure, teacher or coach. They not only teach us a subject or a sport, but also prepare us to become productive members of society and expose us to all aspects of living. It takes a special person to be a teacher or a coach. An exceptional teacher must have patience, discipline and a special skill set that recognizes that no two students are alike, and yet that person finds a way to inspire each one individually.”
“An exceptional teacher brings out the best in all students. Every school system has dedicated teachers, from elementary to middle school and beyond. Bay Head School is no exception. This school has very fine teachers. All of you. You have an outstanding staff,” said the mayor. “It is a small school, student-wise, but a superior school, academic-wise, and has been since it opened it doors…Many of the teachers have walked the halls and its classrooms since the beginning, but one special teacher has left his mark on this school and its students leaving a lasting legacy for other professionals to emulate. That teacher is Thomas Kennedy.”
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