Q&A with Principal
What is your role as principal at DNHS? Honestly, I’m responsible for everything here. Everything. Del Norte is like a small city; it is a hub of activity. There are students and parents on this campus almost 24/7. Thankfully, I work with a very talented and committed team of professional people who are uncommonly dedicated. From grounds and facilities to food and nutrition, from classroom instruction to ASB and athletics, Del Norte is supported by people (classified and certificated) who genuinely care about the well being of each and every one of our students. What is your responsibility to the students on campus? It is my responsibility to ensure every student attending DNHS graduates prepared for his or her future – college and career ready. When we do our job well, our students graduate with a wide variety of exciting options to consider after high school. What might surprise people most about you? I graduated from high school with a 2.07 GPA. Aside from my interest in athletics (I played sports year-round) and seeing my friends, I didn’t really care that much about school. I wasn’t ever really challenged or directly encouraged, and I didn’t really see the relevance of learning. Thankfully, that all changed for me in college. What does DNHS’ mission mean to you? We have a responsibility to inspire passion in our students. High school is all about exploration. I encourage our students to extend themselves, taking courses that challenge and interest them. Some of our students find their niche in world languages; others find it in science, history, literature and writing, or math. Some discover joy in art, music, and in performance. Others still, find outlets for their creativity in clubs like Robotics, DECA, Science Olympiad, Speech and Debate, PLUS, Link Crew, Nighthawk Nation, or FCA, among others (we had over sixty clubs that met regularly on campus last year). Some students love to compete. We offer them an opportunity to play almost every sport imaginable – on the courts and fields
Greg Mizel and mats, and in the pool. Some students discover they love to lead. They participate in ASB, publish magazines and newspapers, and organize community events and volunteering opportunities. All of our students are gifted and talented – every single one of them. They simply need outlets to discover their genius. How has DNHS changed since its founding? In the last five years, we’ve grown from supporting 750 students to now serving almost 2,000. We’ve become a truly comprehensive high school offering our students lots of exciting opportunities to explore their interests as well as to develop their talents. Though much larger today, Del Norte still enjoys a small-school feeling. Students and staff enjoy strong connections with one another. Honestly, it is hard to remain anonymous on our campus for so long. Who were the key players in building DNHS from the beginning? Former Superintendent Dr. Don Phillips and his cabinet, and the original DNHS Leadership Team: Cara Jenkins, Juli Cheskaty, Jim Krenz, Michelle Lanzi-Sheaman, Cheri Kuptz, Neal Curry, Melva Musico, Mike Giaime, Barbara Chiment, Joe Ruggieri, Jocbethem Tahapary, Kelly Burke, and Christine Biggs. Who were the key players who established the PTSA and Foundation? Debbie Ludwin has been our PTSA president four of the last five years. Recognized as a volunteer-of-the-year, she has been simply fabulous. Teresa Maltese was our first Foundation president. Since 2012, Jeff Erwin has served in that capacity. The PTSA provides volunteers who gift hundreds of service hours to Del Norte annually while the Foundation provides additional funding to our school – gifting almost $200,000 YTD to DNHS. How does DNHS prepare students for their future academically? The trimester system allows our students maximum flexibility. A student can take as many as fifteen courses in a school year versus only twelve on the traditional semester
system. Students can accelerate or remediate as needed. They also have the option to go fast or slow (taking an off-roll class at the beginning or end of the day). One cool story I love to share: in the graduating class of 2014, we had over fifty students who came to us as freshmen enrolled in Algebra 1 who left us as seniors having successfully completed one or more advanced placement math classes (Calculus and/or Statistics). That kind of outcome (completing five to six years of math in four years) is only possible in an environment that embraces open access and accommodates flexible scheduling. What is the most rewarding aspect of being principal at DNHS? The best part of launching Del Norte has been establishing the school culture and all the early traditions. It’s been a heavy responsibility to carry, at times, but it has also been a tremendous honor. Del Norte is an ambitious and hard working place. It likes to win, and it does often. It is inclusive, it is relational, it is everything I had imagined it might be and so much more! I love this place! The most challenging aspect? Opening in 2009, in the midst of a significant financial crisis, was very difficult. We had to open DNHS quickly, and we had to work efficiently. We had one year (2008-2009) to develop a distinctive vision, establish a community presence, and communicate with our stakeholders. There was very little margin for error. Out-of-the-gate we had to navigate a controversy – fighting to retain a smallerthan-expected sophomore class. We had a bare-bones staff. None of my teacher-leaders were released from their teaching assignments during the 2008-2009 school year. They all
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