LANSDALE- Meeting for their regularly scheduled action meeting on Thursday evening, the NPSD Board of School Directors opened the meeting with a video featuring several Gwynedd Square students, who expressed their gratitude to the Board in honor of January being School Board appreciation month. Dr. Curt Dietrich, Superintendent of NPSD, also took a moment to recognize the nine members of the Board.

“Public education is more than just learning the basic three R’s; it’s a platform for students to reach their potential,” stated Dietrich. “Public education exists in part because of individuals who volunteer their time to make informed decisions about the issues facing education. Public education exists because of you. Thank you for everything you do.”

The meeting shifted to proclamations to celebrate the achievements of the NPHS football team. Head Coach Dick Beck spoke about the team’s accomplishments this season, which included being 14-1 and winning both the District 1 Championship as well as the Suburban 1 Conference. Beck recognized the team’s three assistant coaches and proceeded to introduce thirteen senior athletes from the team.

“These kids played extremely hard. They played with a lot of class. They played with humility, a lot of heart, and it was an outstanding year for us,” stated Beck.

All of the items on the Superintendent’s agenda were approved, and Dietrich elaborated on an item filed under personnel, which concerned the hiring of Mrs. Sara Rattigan for the Assistant Principal position at North Penn High School.

“I will note that with that approval we have approved our new Assistant Principal, who is replacing a person who is retiring. NPHS Assistant Principal Sara Rattigan is in the audience this evening, and she will be available after the meeting for you to introduce yourself to her,” stated Dietrich during the meeting.

Rattigan, who was joined by her husband and daughter at the meeting, is set to fill the position of Ms. Amy Schwartz, Assistant Principal at NPHS in the junior home office , who will retire from her career with NPSD on March 3^rd. Digesting the fact that she’ll be transitioning to an administrative position for the first time, Rattigan expressed her excitement.

“I don’t think I’ve digested it yet. I think it’s still kind of new and fresh to me. I think once I start transitioning to North Penn and do a couple shadow days, I’ll start to understand what’s happening,” stated Rattigan. “I never realized this dream was possible. I kind of always threw the idea around of being an administrator, and it happened kind of quickly. I haven’t breathed it all in yet. I’m looking forward to it, and I think it’ll be a great transition.”

A current 9^th grade English teacher at West Chester East High School, Rattigan has not only been in the classroom for seven years, but also on the field, where she coached lacrosse for ten years. Before teaching and coaching, Rattigan studied Environmental Science at Slippery Rock University and Secondary English Education at West Chester University, student-taught in West Chester, and completed her Masters program at Cabrini University. Rattigan is currently working on her Doctorate program at Immaculata University.

Commenting on her variety of experiences and personality, Mr. Todd Bauer, Principal of NPHS, discussed the key qualities that set Rattigan apart from the other candidates. Although it was her first interview for an Assistant Principal job, Bauer noted Rattigan’s excitement and energy.

“The assistant principalship involves a lot of parent communication [and] a lot of challenging situations,” explained Bauer. “I’m usually looking for someone that has, even if they don’t have administrative experience, leadership experience. And not just the personality. That’s a bonus. She has a lot of leadership experience on her resume. There were 154 applicants. We interviewed twelve. We narrowed it down to four and then finally two.”

In order to narrow down the candidates, Bauer explained the three-round interview process that he and his team used. The first round was composed of NPHS building staff including Bauer, Mrs. Mary Scott, Assistant Principal at NPHS in the junior home office, department chairs, and other teachers. The second round was composed of the school district’s cabinet, Bauer, and Scott. In the last round, the two final candidates presented to district cabinet members and NPHS teachers and administration.

“The final round was a presentation, essentially what makes you a great candidate to be the next assistant principal at North Penn High School,” explained Bauer. “I said to both candidates afterwards that in terms of scoring, it was a dead lock. The two candidates were very similar in their scoring, but very different in their experiences and qualifications and their personalities, quite frankly. Ultimately, we decided on Mrs. Rattigan, because she has a little bit of a different dynamic that we don’t necessarily have at the high school. She adds a dynamic to our team that we don’t have. We’re excited to have her.”

Discussing the different dynamic, Scott added that she has just the right mix of experience and characteristics to add a different perspective and also commented on how she anticipates Rattigan’s contribution and success at NPHS.

“I think that she’ll go a long way with helping to build community with the junior class. The sophomores come in and we’ve got LINK crew,” stated Scott. “The seniors are part of that community as we’re getting out of here, and the juniors are kind of stuck nice in the middle. I think that she would be good to help build community within that junior class. I’m looking forward to working with her.”

Preparing for the official transition to NPHS in March, Rattigan outlined several of the goals she has set for herself, which include learning staff member’s names, becoming familiar with faces, and getting to know families. Although coming into the school year in March may seem a bit intimidating, Rattigan expressed her determination to assimilate herself to the community.

“I really want to get a trusting relationship with everybody, meet the kids, and I want to be visible,” stated Rattigan. “I want to go to the sporting events. I want to go to everything that North Penn has. I want to be a part of the community. “

Although transition out of the classroom will be a difficult component of the transition, Rattigan explained that the warm welcoming she has received by NPSD has augmented her excitement.

“I just love the culture so far,” said Rattigan. “Everybody that I have met from the Superintendent to the janitors has been so kind and so welcoming and just excited for me. That’s a really cool feeling. I feel they’re just as excited as I am, and that makes me feel like I can be a part of this culture, that I can be a part of this administrative team. It’s going to be a cool experience.”