By Jordayn Padilla
Q: Have you ever held a position in education aside from administration?
A: “Yes, I have. I was a teacher, and I taught health nutrition and as well as having taught international food.”
Q: Have you have any jobs or careers aside from education? If so, what are they?
A: “Yes, I have. I worked in the restaurant business for a long time. I also worked a law firm."
Q: What made you want to be a principal CHS?
A: “It was a natural progression. I started out as a health teacher. I taught health for 7 years and I was also an Assistant Principal for 8 years. I had been helping students, but I wanted to start helping teachers help students, too."
Q: Did you always want to be a principal?
A: “No, actually, I did not. I didn't start teaching till I was 37 years old, and I hit college hard, going to school to study both English and health. I originally wanted to be a dietician, but when my kids were very young, I began teaching, instead.
Q: If you weren’t a principal what area do you think you'd have a career in?
A: “I think I would have gotten involved in the restaurant business. For a few years, on the side, I was a restaurant manager, as well as a bartender, and a waitress. I really enjoyed working in the restaurant business."
Q: Now that you've been Principal for a few years, can you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses as Principal?
A: “I would say my strength as Principal is I am able to get everyone to play in a sandbox, so-to-speak, and that I know which people in the building are good at what. I use this knowledge to get things done quickly and effectively. The communication amongst teachers and administration is great, too. My weakness, on the other hand, is that my mind works too fast and I need to learn how to slow down and explain things. I need to verbalize to people what's going on in my head when they're having a hard time getting on the same page as I am."
Q: As Principal, what is your approach to disciplining students?
A: “ It's more the Assistant Principals' jobs, but we do work together as a team and try conversing first. I believe that clear conversations lead to clear expectations. The better you get to know the student, the easier it is to find mutual respect.”
Q: What would you say is the biggest challenge of your job?
A: “The fact that there simply is not enough time in the day. These days go by far too fast to plan and get things done in one day. But one thing I can say is that there's never a boring day as Principal. Something is always going on.”
Q: What is the craziest thing that you have seen at CHS so far?
A: “Honestly, it’s been a crazy few years, so I can’t decide on one specific thing. There are also many, many crazy things that have happened which I cannot speak on for a variety of reasons.”
Q: What kind of problems do you think you’ll have with YONDR?
A: “So far, it's been going well. Admin and staff have been on top of the students who are breaking the YONDR rules. The rules will be broken, but I anticipate it'll go well, overall."
Q: What activities do you like to do outside of school?
A: “First and foremost, I like to sleep. Other than that, I enjoy going for walks and spending time with my kids, husband, and my dog. I try to be outdoors as much as I can, but I do really enjoy watching movies and I'm an avid reader, too."
Q: If you could change one thing about CHS what would it be?
A: “I wish I could change the inaccuracy of our reputation in Chicopee, and the misconception most people have about us as a school. I'd like for those people to know that we are a great school and have great people here and that we are mostly judged by outsiders based on our test scores. A school is more than test scores."
Q: How would you describe CHS to someone who's never been here before?
A: “We are a very tight-knit place. The staff likes working here, and they work together. We are diverse, and you'll be able to find your 'group' of people, regardless of who that group might be. Our kids accept each other and we, staff, are accepting of them.”
Q: What events, as Principal, do you enjoy planning the most?
A: “Planning our annual Pride Week is always fun, Also, I enjoy planning Freshman Step-Up Night, our MCAS Celebration, and Junior/Senior awards, too.”
Q: What advice would you give to new educators?
A: “Ask for help when you need it-- it is not a sign of weakness. Also, it is better to over plan rather than to under plan. It helps make life easier and makes the days, and ultimately, the school year go by much more quickly."
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