Pennsylvania's Acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty visited Sarah Steiner's PM kindergarten class at Penn Wynn Elementary School on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.

Sec. Hagarty exchanged greetings with the students during their daily meeting, played the guitar while they sang along to "Baby Shark," and read the book Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora. The book emphasizes the importance of generosity and sharing what we have with others.

He, along with Principal Shawn Bernatowicz, Assistant Principal Dr. Brandon Brown and Superintendent Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, also joined the students and Ms. Steiner in a movement activity, dancing along to a song about wiggling. At the end of his visit, the secretary helped hand out Penguin Points to the class to reward them for being safe, respectful and kind during the visit.

After this classroom visit, Hagarty and the administrators had an informal discussion about District priorities and Department of Education initiatives.

After his visit, Sec. Hagarty said, "With thankful season upon us, it's important that we not only give back to our schools and communities, but to each other. Today, I shared the gift of music and reading with Penn Wynne students, and—like Omu in Thank You, Omu!—I encourage Pennsylvanians to share their special gifts with others during this holiday season and beyond."

Dr. Mumin commented, "We are pleased and honored to welcome Acting Secretary Hagarty to our District and to Penn Wynne Elementary School. We hope he saw how we are working to build a sense of safety and belonging for all of our students, as we honor student voice and encourage our educators to continue to transform our student-centered curriculum to meet the needs of every student."

Click through the slide show below to see photos of Sec. Hagarty's visit.