Campbell’s First Cycle

I interviewed Mr. Campbell last year just after he had just been hired to replace Ms. Gillespie as the new principal.   I felt strongly that I should interview him once again to get the inside scoop on how his first year has been.

When asked about his high and lowlights of the year, Mr. Campbell answered positively:

“I think for me the highlights have really been how comfortable I feel here. This school is quite different from a lot of high schools and different from the high school I came from.  I really liked where I was before, but I think the whole democratic model is something we talk about a lot.  It has been really interesting and rewarding to be part of that as a Principal . . . to see the way that students are able to advocate for themselves and advocate for the school and make changes in a real way.  It has been really fun for me.  I don’t know if it is a lowlight, but it has been a tremendously busy spring between having the NEASC visit and having to hire multiple teachers.  Those are both wonderful parts of the job, but it has just been a busy few months so I haven’t been able to be in classrooms as much as I like.”

It was very interesting to hear about this from his point of view because as students at Hanover High we do not think about what it really takes to be a Principal and how much effort is involved on our behalf.

Mr. Campbell then spoke about how Hanover High School is different from other schools he has worked in:

“At the end of our NEASC visit on Wednesday afternoon the NEASC team gave a brief overview and what struck them during the visit was the same as what strikes me every day:  The students and the way that you all interact with each other.  No school is perfect, and we all have our challenges, and it is nice to see how excepting and respectful students are of one another.  I think that people with diverse interests in some schools are apart, students often categorize themselves as athletes, artists, or academics, and I think people here often do lots of those things, and that is great.”

We often forget how blessed we are as a community to have such a great environment in Hanover High School, and it was encouraging to hear this from the Principal himself.

Next he talked about how he involves himself with the student body:

“The typical ways that I get to involve my self with the student body include going to classrooms, athletic advents, and concerts. Mr. Smith is able to teach a class this semester, I use to be a [science] teacher, and I would love to find a way to be able to co-teach a class with someone. It would be a lot of fun.  It is a different sort of relationship when you get to know a group of kids and are with them every day for a period of time. I have a scheduled meeting every week, assuming our schedules work, with Melanie Subbiah (Council Moderator), and Brendan Barth (Assistant Moderator).  We talk about things on the council agenda, and I give them feedback on motions (pass or veto), but they can override my veto if they choose to do so.  I go to council meetings as much as I can; I did pretty well thru the winter, but this Spring’s schedule has interrupted my presence at the council meetings.  Either Mr. Smith or I are at every meeting”.

When asked about any unexpected discoveries or challenges that he had faced so far in the year, Mr. Campbell replied:

“We have had a large amount of folks to hire this year, which is exciting in some ways.  It is very interesting to see the amazing people that apply to the school; the reputation of the school and the community of the students attract many incredible people. Also, every hiring committee has had two students who have given their input, and their input is every bit as valuable as mine or any teacher or anyone else.  I went into this job trying not to have any concrete expectations because you need to get to know a place before you make any real judgments; I tried to be pretty open-minded about the school.”

The discussion turned to the topic of how family life and being the Principal of Hanover High mix:

“I think it is going well, my son is about eighteen months old.  He is still a little guy, but he loves coming to games; he loves climbing the bleachers in the gym.  I have been part of schools for a long time, so it is great.”

Finally, I asked Mr. Campbell if he would like to stay anything to the staff and student body.

“I would just like to thank the student body, the teachers, and the community for being very welcoming to me.  It is quite something to come into a group of seven hundred fifty students and one hundred fifty staff members and to feel so welcomed.”

As a school we should be aware of the great privilege that we have when it comes to the staff that show up everyday to keep it running smoothly. I would like to send a shout out to the Principal and the Broadside staff for the great three years that I have had on the school’s newspaper.