CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL- As many of us at Centennial may know, this new school year is shaping up to be an unprecedented year full of new changes. One of the biggest changes to Centennial this year are the new executive staff. This year, Centennial is proud to welcome our new principal, Mr. Zambiasi, assistant principal Mrs. Mistry, and counselors Ms. Andersen and Ms. Loera.
Two months into the school year, it is commonly known throughout the school that we have a new principal and assistant principal, but how much do we truly know about Mr. Zambiasi and Mrs. Mistry? There are so many things that they would like the students of Centennial to know about them, including their plans for the school year and their thoughts on Centennial High School.
“I got named principal like early August, so it’s been a quick turnaround and so I’m enjoying my time [at Centennial] and really just immersing myself in the classroom and things like that,” Mr. Zambiasi explains regarding the transition to his new role.
Although Mr. Zambiasi and Mrs. Mistry are still getting situated in their new positions, they have however gotten to experience the atmosphere of Centennial and are enjoying their time here so far.
“I like the small environment and I like getting to know the kids and just everything about Centennial. It’s been awesome, it’s been very pleasant,” Mrs. Mistry describes her thoughts on being at the school.
As our new principal and assistant principal are enjoying their time at Centennial so far, they both wanted to take on their new positions to help the students and make a difference in their lives.
Mr. Zambiasi reveals that “being able to reach more students and make sure they are future ready and ready for college, trade school, the military, or whatever they set their dreams on, to accomplish those things,” was a major reason he wanted to step into the role of principal at Centennial.
Similarly, Mrs. Mistry was also motivated to take on her new administrative position in order to help students through their struggles and provide them the support they need for their future.
“I’ve always wanted to be an assistant principal at some point in my career, but I honestly felt like I wanted to be a part of the students’ lives and be a part of the classroom,” Mrs. Mistry explains. “But when Covid hit and I realized what people can go through emotionally, and all of these things that happened to students and teachers that were going through this pandemic, I felt at that point that if I can provide some sort of supporting hand and some sort of positive input in somebody’s life then this would be my right time to see if I could get into administration.”
The Covid-19 pandemic was not only a factor in Mrs. Mistry’s motivation for stepping up as assistant principal, but also plays a big role in her and Mr. Zambiasi’s interactions with students this school year. They both have made efforts to connect with students and build up the feeling of a school community despite complications with Covid this school year.
“My main focus when I’m not in meetings or something like that is to get out into the school and have the students see me whether it’s at lunch in the cafeteria or whether I’m going into the English or Math classes,” Mr. Zambiasi describes.
Likewise, Mrs. Mistry has also attempted to connect with the students of Centennial this year by finding new ways to reach out to them.
Mrs. Mistry explains that she is “making herself visible and being out there in the hallways,” and trying to “make [her] best effort to be in classrooms so students can see [her] a part of their learning,” to show that she is “not only a person that does discipline but also a person that’s there to help you… and wants to be an adult that you can trust.”
At the end of the day, both Mr. Zambiasi and Mrs. Mistry want students to know that they are there for them, and want to be a support system for whatever they may need.
“I’m always trying to be out there [in the hallways], just to kind of get to know kids and be a friendly face that they see in the mornings,” Mrs. Mistry explains. “Because sometimes you don’t know what a person is going through, you don’t know what’s happened at home or what is going on. Maybe that one person saying ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’ and ‘good morning’ might be their one happy moment for that time.”