Around Hopewell
Last Curtain for Chad Toporski!!!
After 14 years as the General Music/Choral teacher at the Hopewell Junior High will be Chad Toporski will be moving on to another opportunity.
The Beauty and the Beast production will be his last curtain here at Hopewell as Chad announced to families today that he is moving on to a new role at Quaker Valley. This announcement comes ahead of the Hopewell Board meeting agenda release and will be discussed personally with students this afternoon.
In a letter to parents this morning Mr. Toporski shared his thoughts and feelings around his decision:
“Dear Parents,
It is with a heavy heart that I reach out to you today. At the end of rehearsal this evening, I plan on speaking with all of the cast, crew, and high school students to let them know that this will be my last junior high musical at Hopewell. I have accepted a teaching position at Quaker Valley Middle School beginning this January.
I know this will come as a shock to many of you, but I wanted to make sure that I was the one to share this news. I also feel the students deserve to hear it directly from me before it becomes public knowledge at the upcoming school board meeting. It is not the most ideal timing with regard to the show, but hopefully these next couple weeks will allow everyone enough time to process their feelings prior to the performances.
Originally, I wanted to share this with you in person at the parent meeting next week. Unfortunately, with the school board agenda being posted on Friday, I knew that would be too late. So I deeply apologize that I’m doing this by email instead. On that note, I do invite you to join the students in the auditorium at the end of practice if you want to be there. I will plan on about 5:45 PM, and I will stick around after dismissal for anyone that wants to talk.
There are definitely going to be a lot of emotions, myself included. The biggest question students will ask is “why.” While I can’t go into all of the reasons, I can say that this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, and it was the students and this musical program that made the choice so difficult. They have been the absolute best part of my time here at Hopewell for almost 14 years. Some students, especially our younger ones, will have an exceptionally hard time understanding it, and so I hope you will be able to provide some comfort and support as they work through their emotions.
I also want to thank all of you parents who have supported this program and who have given way more of yourselves than I could ever expect. A few of you have been around for many years, and I have loved getting to know you and your families. Others of you are just getting started, and I will miss being able to take that journey with you. I never could have done any of this without your help.
I will always consider myself part of the musical family here at Hopewell, and I’m still committing myself to conducting the high school musical pit orchestra. I will be working with Sarah Bober, Celeste Beley, and the rest of the team to make sure the program continues to thrive and serve our students.
As I mentioned, I will stick around after rehearsal today for anyone that wants to talk.
“What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller
“Grief is the last act of love we give to our loved one. Where there is deep grief there is great love.” – Chaplin Robert Orr
With all of my heart,
Chad Toporski
General/Choral Music
Hopewell Memorial Jr. High School
2354 Brodhead Road
Aliquippa, PA 15001-4501
toporskic@hopewellarea.org
(724) 375-6691 ext. 4140”
