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By JERRY BATTISTE
Mark Misch will replace Greg Mohler as the Norwell High School principal beginning the end of this current school year.
Northern Wells Community School board approved the recommendation made by Superintendent Dr. Scott Mills at Tuesday’s meeting.
“Mark passed a rigorous interview process and was, in my opinion, the very best candidate for principal at Norwell High School,” Mills said.
Misch, a Norwell High School math teacher and seasoned educator, was surrounded by family and friends at Tuesday’s meeting.
“I am so proud to be selected; I consider this a great honor,” he said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Mohler will work through the end of this school year and Misch will pick-up right where he leaves off.
Misch said while Norwell was an excellent school, there was always room for improvement.
“I know, working together, we can make Norwell High School an even better school for our students than it is right now,” he said. “I am looking forward to joining the Norwell family.”
The board also received word Tuesday night that Lancaster Central Elementary School principal Steve Darnell would be leaving the district to take a superintendent’s job at Smith-Greene.
Darnell joined NWCS in 1998 and has been principal at LCES since 2005. He received his superintendents license in 2008.
He said he was sorry to be leaving NWCS but was looking forward to new challenges.
“It has been a pleasure working for Northern Wells Community Schools these past 11 years. We have a great staff and very supportive parents who care about their child’s education,” he said. “The community is so supportive of Lancaster Central and all we try to accomplish with student learning and achievement.”
Board member Michelle Brown-Stohler said Darnell’s presence at LCES would be sorely missed.
“I for one appreciate everything Mr. Darnell has brought to our staff and our school,” she said. “He will be missed.”
Darnell was not the final goodbye for the board, however. Curriculum director Amy Leeson also tendered her retirement at the meeting, leaving some on the board to reflect back on her service to the school district.
Board president Gene Donaghy said he regularly encountered Norwell graduates who expressed their gratitude toward Leeson for preparing them.
“I think the Norwell English department has been greatly improved by Amy’s work at the school,” Donaghy said. “A lot of kids I hear say their English experience at Norwell is what got them through college.”
Brown-Stohler said she herself benefitted from Leeson’s teaching qualities.
“I had Miss Leeson when I went to Norwell and I can say I got through college and law school because of her,” she said.
Mills said Leeson would likely not be leaving the school completely. Currently he is working with her to possibly bring her back on a part-time basis next year, with similar yet limited duties.
“We don’t expect her to be disappearing from us altogether,” he said.
BY JERRY BATTISTE
jerryb@news-banner.com
Visit the Blog Bank at www.news-banner.com for a video of Mark Misch accepting the job as principal of Norwell High School.
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