How was your summer?
“My family and I went camping on Cape Cod which we love to do. We got good weather which determines if a camping trip is successful. It was really great.”
What are some key goals or priorities for the school year?
“Every year we set new goals that build on our previous goals… We could use a little more school spirit and events that kids are drawn to and will become excited by. Some of that is just because school spirit is fun to build and to create an environment that’s exciting. Part of it also is strategic because we’ve done a lot of work in the past few years to examine school attendance and one of the key things that the research seems to suggest is that students come to school when school is a fun environment. You’ve seen that with that banner project, and my goal with that is to have that take on a life of its own over the course of the next few years where kids can take it over and make it their own thing. … We’re also doing some instructional work to make sure that our classroom environments are warm, inviting and recognizing all types of different students, which our teachers are doing well, but we’re always looking to improve on our strengths.”
What do you want the freshmen to know about Algonquin?
“Our freshmen will be the first students to come through our school having the new athletic complex for all four years. They will have a bit of a different experience than the kids who’ve now graduated during a pandemic or during the mascot change. We’ve had a few years of rapid change and I think our freshmen will be the first group who sees Algonquin for what it will look like for the next decade.”
What is something you spent a lot of time working on this summer?
“I look at data a lot over the summer: reading data and seeing where we can improve. It’s something we do a lot of, and that involves looking at AP [exam] scores, MCAS scores and attendance data. This year we have a new data platform that combines all these different streams of data. … Now, we have the ability with a lot more technology and ability to combine data into a usable form at the whole school level. That’s very exciting.”
Is there anything else you would like to add?
“I feel like the energy in the building was really great. Kids always bring a lot of energy and it’s exciting. I’ve been a principal for 10 or 12 years now and I received a text from a colleague in the building saying, ‘Boy, those first two days were great. We’re off to a great start.’ I don’t know why; I can’t really put my finger on it. It just felt like the culture in the building was strong that day.”
