One fully renovated high school, some 10,000 students, and 13 years later, Principal Dr. Mario Almeida is set to start a new chapter in his professional career as Assistant Superintendent/Head of School for Joel Barlow High School in Redding starting Oct. 8.
“Back in those days, it was a newspaper ad that spoke to me; something about it made it clear that the Rocky Hill community was the right fit,” he recounted nostalgically on the process to become the principal at RHHS all those years ago.
And although a newspaper ad was not the catalyst to him applying this go around, there are many parallels that can be drawn between the two roles.
For one, it was the same sense of inclination that carried Almeida through the application process while applying for this new position, “When you are going to be doing what you love, you go in with an open mind.”
This role at the Joel Barlow is exactly what Almeida described he would want at this point in his career, as it allows him to get the best of both worlds in terms of a central office role while still being very involved in school-specific administration.
With the way that the school is set up, being that it serves both the towns of Redding and Easton, the school uniquely acts as its own microcosm of a school district between the respective towns’ boards of education which is why he is serving as both the assistant superintendent and head of school.
“It’s a great stepping stone to take on a larger role but still work great that I can work at a high school and know the kids—because that’s what I enjoy the most,” Almeida said.
In being directly involved with students at this Region 9 high school, he said he hopes to facilitate an accepting and organic culture—something that he made clear as being his proudest accomplishment during his time here in Rocky Hill.
“When I was hired [at RHHS], I was told that we needed to change the climate of the school and feel that I helped to do that,” he said.
“I wanted to create an environment where it’s okay for teachers to laugh and have fun and where teachers and students can see each other without a disconnect. After all, how can students and facilities be together in a school and not have a connection?”
Tangential to that, he saw how these ideas permeated throughout the student body, including with special education programs and students, which culminated in the high school being recognized as a National Unified School school two years ago for creating an exceptionally inclusive school environment.
“Our kids are real,” Almedia emphasized. “There is no bullying of special education students; everyone is valued. That to me is important.”
Admittedly however, Almeida made clear that leaving amidst what he described as “round two” to a very challenging pandemic is not ideal but nonetheless is a challenge that Rocky Hill High School is prepared to take on.
“It’s funny, what we have been through the last years, resilience, open-mindedness, etcetera are not new ideas to the Rocky Hill student body,” he said, “and that is how I know what is to come is nothing that we can’t handle.”