Ms. Michele Forbes, a CHS English and AP Psychology teacher, has officially retired as a co-advisor of the Student Council, having served as the student council leader for 30 years. Forbes said she first became involved with Student Council during her second year of teaching.

“The athletic director at the time asked me if I was interested in becoming the Student Council co-advisor,” Forbes said, “And I said, yes, and I wanted it to be as big and spirited as it was at Holy Cross, like when I was at Holy Cross.”

Forbes said she began thinking about stepping down from Student Council this past summer. 

She said her decision to retire was due in part to her age as well as the physical demands and increased responsibilities the position requires. 

“This summer is when I kind of felt like I was done,” Forbes said, “But then after we started homecoming and I got tired, I’m 60 now, and it’s just time for me to step down. It’s more like a young teacher’s thing. It is really a lot more physical than people realize, like getting all the games ready, packing the ball stuff, decorating, and it does make me sad, but I’m ready to pass it off to someone else.”

Throughout the years of advising, Forbes said her favorite theme for homecoming was in 2003, when the theme was to “be super.” 

“We had the theme to be super, so sports teams, supernatural, spooky things, superstars, and I thought that that was like a really good one,” Forbes said. 

According to Forbes, all of the years’ Homecoming themes are documented so future officers can reference them and use them for inspiration.

“But I have a document with all the themes over the years, and we always show officers if they kind of get stuck and don’t know what to pick. We show it to them to kind of get them creative and get them thinking of things.”

One of the biggest struggles Forbes said she has faced throughout her years has been keeping the pep rally challenges fun, yet fair, while also maintaining the safety of the students. 

“The challenge is keeping the games fun so that the seniors aren’t always the best at the games,” Forbes explained. “You have to keep the games new so that by the time you’re a senior, you know the games, you can play them really well, which is not really fair to the freshmen.” 

An additional problem Forbes said she has faced over the years has been weather. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, making it challenging for the advisors to complete the task of creating a fun homecoming for students. 

“There have been weather issues where we couldn’t get supplies and things. So, like Hurricane Sandy that year, we had to postpone the homecoming and then reschedule it. And when we rescheduled it, we still couldn’t get supplies for it,” Forbes said.

Mrs. Mary Orphanos, a CHS Spanish teacher, has been co-advising with Forbes for the last three years. Orphanos explains how great of a mentor Forbes has been.

“Ms. Forbes and I have worked with each other for the last three years for the student council, and she has been such a great mentor by explaining everything that you need to do as a student council advisor, and again, always demanding the best for the students, and by helping with activities and programming for the students,” Orphanos said.

Forbes said she is confident that Orphanos will do an amazing job and accomplish great things with Student Council’s newest co-advisor, Mr. Jeb Howley.

“Mrs. Orphanos is fabulous at what she does, and we did it together for three years, and I am beyond confident that she will carry on everything that the students need in her role as the co-advisor with Mr. Howley,” Forbes said. 

Orphanos sums up Forbes’ commitment to the students of CHS over the past 30 years. 

“Passionate, Ms. Forbes gives 110% to the Student Council and makes sure everything is perfect for the students, especially during homecoming spirit week,” Orphanos said. 

While she may no longer be as actively involved in Student Council as an advisor, Forbes will still be able to experience the fun of Homecoming – as a teacher. 

“I’ll just miss being involved with all of the excitement that the students feel, but I still get to watch it and be in the building with it,” Forbes said.