After many years here at North Harford High School, orchestra teacher Mr. Mark Heinly and math teacher Mr. Ron Brown are retiring from the Hawk’s Nest.

    Heinly has split his time between NHHS and NHMS for many years, inspiring students like senior Toby Ziegler, who is headed to college to study music.

   Ziegler said he was not very interested in music until he had Heinly as a teacher. “In sixth grade I really didn’t care too much playing wise, and then seventh grade on is when I really started to enjoy it (playing music) and he is a large reason of why I enjoyed it,” says Ziegler. “The way that he taught and the way that he went about showing us things really made sense to me.”  

    Heinly not only inspired students, but teachers as well. Mrs. Angie Jones, North Harford’s Choir teacher, said she has had the pleasure of working with Heinly for 22 years at North Harford, and they have grown very close to each other. “Early on in my career he was totally a mentor to me and so supportive of me as a new teacher over there,” says Jones.

    Even teachers who have only worked with Heinly for a few years look up to him, such as band teacher Mr. John Wojciechowski. “We’re gonna miss him a lot but he’s done a tremendous amount of hard work to start the string program,” says Wojciechowski. Heinly started the string program in the entire North Harford community, teaching at the elementary, middle and high schools.  “He is definitely one of the best in the county,” says Jones.

    Senior Anna Racine has been playing for Mr. Heinly for seven years, and though she is sad to see him go, knows that “he deserves to take a break and take time for himself.”

    Our second hawk leaving the nest is Mr. Brown. Teaching math here at North Harford for many years, Brown has helped many students succeed in their studies.

    Mikey Krause, a senior at North Harford, said he has had the pleasure of having Mr. Ron Brown as a teacher, and would like to thank Brown for “being an epic teacher.” Senior Liam Heuser adds that Brown spent time here not only being epic, but also teaching the students “a lot about math.”

    Brown not only affected students.. Mrs. Jenny Biegel, a math teacher at North Harford, says that Brown was “a voice of sanity, and a great addition to our department.” Beigel says that she and the rest of the math department will miss Brown, but that they “wish him the best and some peace and relaxation.”