Students Have a Voice: 2 Selected to Help Choose Principal

• Name: Junior Nathan Buckler and sophomore Katrina Leung, both attend Montville Township High School. The two students were selected from the entire high school population to serve on the Principal Search Committee. “We were asked to be on it to represent the whole student body,” said Buckler.
• How Long in Montville: Buckler moved to Pine Brook from Atlanta in time to begin middle school at Lazar. He now lives in the Montville section of town, not far from the high school. At age 8, Leung moved to Montville from Florham Park.
• Favorite Thing about Montville: “Montville is really great,” said Leung. “I think it’s a really big community, and we have all this community spirit. You know everyone in the community. It’s just like a big network of people.” Buckler agreed. “I really like Montville. I especially like the area around the high school. I think once you get into the high school it’s like a whole different feeling about Montville." Buckler likes to hang out with friends and participate in activities on the fields and open areas around the school. “I really enjoy the high school here,” he added.
• Something they would like to see Changed:  “Less housing and more stores,” said Buckler. “I think we need more small business closer to the high school,” agreed Leung. She noted that, students look for food each afternoon before beginning afterschool sports and activities. “The closest one is Joe’s, or the bagel shop. It’s kinda far to walk.”
• Activities: Buckler plays basketball and is in School of Rock, a club that puts on performances throughout the year. Leung is active in the History Club, Earth Club, Design Club and the school spirit-oriented, Student Activities Committee (SAC).
• The Committee: According to Buckler, Dr. Frank Calabria, the interim principal at Montville High, “was appointed to pick out two students, and with the help of Miss D [teacher, Janet D'Innocenzio], Katrina and I were chosen to be on the committee.” Leung added, “He wanted someone who was hard working and actually cared for the school; who wanted a principal who would stay and try to help build up our school again.”   
• The Search:  The student members came onto the committee for the final phase of the principal selection process. They spent three and a half hours interviewing the final three candidates. “I was looking for someone who might be here for a long time, like maybe someone younger,” said Buckler. “Someone who is structural and knows what he wants but, isn’t a pushover,” added Leung. Both students indicated that school spirit has suffered under the past two interim principals, because there has been an ongoing feeling that the interim leadership was just that, interim, and was always in the process of moving on. “It wasn’t good or bad,” said Buckler. “But they were just filling space.” Both students expressed a desire to find a principal who wants to “be part of Montville.”
• The Goals: “Each person on the committee was allowed to ask at least one question. Some asked two,” said Buckler. His question addressed values and qualities among students and teachers, while Leung focused on athletics in the school. According to the two, other committee members asked questions about janitorial staff, cell phone policy, conferences and many other things. “I think a big thing was communication between our new principal, the students, and teachers, because I think we need that right now,” said Leung about the committee’s ultimate priorities in choosing a candidate.  “Along with that,” added Buckler, “how they can be visible to the students. How they could be seen at events and walking around the school. To be a leader.”
• The Experience: Before the students joined the 13 member committee of administrators, teachers, and parents, Dr. Paul Fried, superintendent of the Montville Township Board of Education, met with them to discuss the process and procedures. “The superintendent was really nice he was really open. He had everything under control,” Buckler said. “He kept stressing that the students need a voice,” noted Leung. Both students did some research before beginning the interview process so that they felt prepared to join the adults at the committee table. “At first it was nerve wracking,” said Leung. “But then it got really exciting and it was a new experience because you got to learn about things, and you got to see the interview process.”
• The New Principal: Mr. Douglas Sanford, currently an assistant principal in Westfield, will become the new principal of Montville Township High School. “He says he’s very student oriented, so, he wants to work with us kids,” Leung said. “So I think that is a very big step for SAC for the coming years. Because now we actually have a principal who wants to work with us. Who’s going to plan activities with us to build school spirit and get everyone together instead of being impossible to find. So, I think that’s a really big step for us.” Buckler agreed adding, “Hopefully student morale will be boosted through this, which gives you a good feeling; when you get a new principal. Now our school feels together again. It was kinda like apart and now we’re together.”

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