Category: News

Emily Greene & Ellen Trinklein
Editor-in-Chief & Opinions Editor

The job of principal isn’t easy. In the nine years that Principal Tony Pavia has held the position, he has faced numerous controversies involving everything from spirit week to Darien – New Canaan squabbles. Some of Mr. Pavia’s decisions were well received and others were not, but ultimately Mr. Pavia used the tactics of communication and morality to smooth over controversies and maintain the flow of the school.

One of the biggest problems Mr. Pavia faced was the school’s reconstruction process, which began at the start of Mr. Pavia’s tenure. “Everything that was planned in terms of the construction project seemed to go wrong,” Assistant Principal Ari Rothman said. “[Mr. Pavia] took responsibility as a principal for making sure that the students’ education wasn’t affected.”

Sara McCloskey
Editor-in-Chief

Rain or shine, snow or sleet, Principal Tony Pavia stands at the front entrance, with coffee cup in hand, greeting every student by name. “When other principals are focused on scores and grades, he’s focused on creating an environment that is safe where [students] feel inspired, challenged, and nurtured,” school psychologist Sandera Warkentin, who works on the Names Can Hurt program, said.

Kelsey Anspach
Managing Editor

From the ability to pursue a Senior project to being able to use phones in school and to go off campus, students here are allowed a wide range of freedoms that students at many other schools don’t have.

There are other privileges that are not so obvious and may be taken for granted by students. “We’re unique in that we’re one of the few schools that has open access to social media,” Library Department Chair Michelle Luhtala said. “It’s very unusual. There are lots of principals that would have said ‘No way are we allowing this.’ We’re not one of those places.”

These freedoms are not a recent development. “[Principal] Tony Pavia has continued a long, proud tradition of trusting kids to do the right thing at NCHS. We’ve rarely ever been disappointed,” Social Studies Department Chair Richard Webb said.

Students have been allowed these freedoms because of a prevailing trust between the administration and students. “Mr. Pavia lives by Lincoln’s dictum,” Mr. Webb said. “He assumes that kids will be guided by ‘the better angels of their nature.'”

Answers to the “Mr. Pavia’s Favorites” crossword puzzle featured in the December issue.