Whether they are new to the school or new to their position, all three say that they are willing to help make a difference in the lives of students at CHS. “For me, it’s all about connecting students to what they are learning. I am working hard on getting to know everyone, and building relationships and trust,” Mr. Chace says.
CHS has made some significant changes to their administration this year, including adding two faculty members, Mr. Vincent Maccarone and Mrs. Alison Kasbarian, now known as the Dean of Students, as well as a new vice principal, Mr. Tim Chace, to replace Mr. Lucian.
The new Dean of Students position is described as more of a student resource. They are now in charge primarily of handling student discipline, and also helping out students in a variety of ways such as chaperoning school events, giving out parking passes, and helping students with any other personal problems at school or at home.
Mrs. Kasbarian wants students to know that she and Mr. Maccarone are NOT vice principals. In fact, they are technically still teachers, not administrators. The difference is that while they are acting in what Kasbarian calls “an administrative capacity” towards students, they are not in charge of teachers, nor do they evaluate or supervise them.
According to the Deans, the reason the position was created was to give the vice principals more free time to do the tasks that real administrators must do, such as evaluate teachers, assist on professional development days, and organize curriculum.
So far, Mrs. Kasbarian, in charge of grades 10 and 12, says she is enjoying her new position. She says it has been, “Busy. Very very busy. But a good busy!” She likes the fact that she is interacting with a greater percentage of students now than she was as a teacher. Kasbarian has taught history and sociology at CHS for the past 20 years, and has student taught at the middle school for an additional seven years before that. She was very much in touch with the teachers who were in her hallway, but with this position, she says, “I get to broaden my horizons.” She now feels connected to every teacher and every student at CHS.
Additionally, Kasbarian believes that this position is a perfect fit for what she is capable of. She has two children in sixth and ninth grade, and she claims having that perspective of being a mother has greatly helped her. Every time she is dealing with a student, she asks herself, “If this was my child, how would I want this to be handled?” As a result, she says that everyone has been very welcoming.
Mr. Maccarone, the Dean for grades 9 and 11, is also having a good experience. He has taught math classes at CHS for twelve years, and he likes the fact that he is quickly building good relationships with students. Even more interestingly, he remarked, “There is a lot of similarity between this and being a police officer.” Maccarone is a retired member of the Cranston Police Department, and the Marine Corps, as well, and this new position has him building the same sort of relationships and doing similar tasks that he used to do while on the force.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chace, the new vice principal, has taken a liking to CHS. He had been an administrator in East Greenwich, but switched to Coventry when the position opened up. In fact, he lives in Coventry, just two minutes away from the school. “You just can’t beat the commute,” he says.
According to Chace, CHS is a lot different than East Greenwich. He says this school is much bigger, with twice as many students and teachers. Chace commented on how he appreciates that CHS provides unique opportunities for students, such as offering the Career Tech program.
As an administrator, Vice Principal Chace has had time to reflect on his own experiences with school when he was younger. When he was at North Kingstown High, he himself had discipline issues. He was never able to make the connection between the real world and what he was learning in the classroom. Therefore, he finds it quite easy to relate to students. “The last place my old teachers would think I would go for a career was back to a high school,” he says.
Whether they are new to the school or new to their position, all three say that they are willing to help make a difference in the lives of students at CHS. “For me, it’s all about connecting students to what they are learning. I am working hard on getting to know everyone, and building relationships and trust,” Mr. Chace says.
Mr. Maccarone wishes to not only make a difference in handling discipline, but also on a personal level with students. “We want students to come to us if they feel unsafe or if they are dealing with a crisis,” he says. “I also want to help them learn from their mistakes. That is how you grow into an adult. I am not just a man who hands out discipline. I want to be the man students seek out, for any reason, to help.”
Finally, Mrs. Kasbarian remarks, “I want students to know that we are here for them. We will listen, and we will help problem-solve. We will help continue to foster a positive school culture where students genuinely feel that they belong.”
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