Principal Paul Wardinski's Letter to WSHS

What follows is the complete text of West Springfield High School Principal Paul Wardinski's letter emailed Monday evening, September 26.

Good evening parents and students—

I have always preached that when a unique opportunity arises and one that lets you encompass your passion into your job—you need to jump on that opportunity, even if the timing is not great.  So, it is with very mixed and strong emotions that I announce that I have been offered and accepted the position of Director of the Office of Professional and Life Skills (OPLS) in the Instructional Services Department at Fairfax Ridge.  OPLS provides middle and high school students a variety of comprehensive course offerings through Career and Technical Education programs.  These instructional programs, coupled with opportunities for industry credentialing help students best prepare for postsecondary coursework or future careers.  This office is also responsible for Fine and Performing Arts, Instructional Technology Education, Library Information Services, Adult Community Education, School-Based Technology Coordination, and Health and Physical Education.  Quite a variety of departments. 

I have always been a huge supporter of the electives and extra-curricular programs.  This position allows me to partially return to my roots and background in the curriculum area of Career and Technical Education, which remains a real passion of mine, while allowing me to engage and learn more in depth about several new areas of instruction and at all three levels (elementary, middle, and high), not just high school where I have been my entire career.  Even after I left the classroom I have remained active with the marketing student organization DECA, serving in many capacities but especially as a conference coordinator at their international conference for the past 15 years.  I also had the privilege of opening The Marshall Academy 15 years ago, which still remains as a source of pride for me.

This position will also provide me a more balanced schedule allowing me to spend more quality time with my family and participate in their activities, including my twin daughters’ future involvement at Lake Braddock Secondary next school year.  It will also allow me to spend more time with my aging parents and mother-in-law.   Back in November my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and I want to be able to spend as much time with her and my father as I can.

As excited as I am for my new opportunities and the challenges that come with it, my mixed emotions come from the reality of not being in a school building any longer and especially leaving West Springfield HS—a school I have come to love and respect, as has my entire family.  From my custom license plate, WS FAN, to our dog named Spartan, my family and I have become true Spartans over my four plus years as the principal, enjoying games, concerts, beautification days, Spartanfest, Relay for Life, and so forth.  I leave at a time when I feel the school is doing well in all aspects and will continue to do so because of the truly amazing staff at WSHS.  Some of our proudest accomplishments from the collective effort of everyone (staff, students, parents, and community members) over the past four plus years include, but are certainly not limited to the following:

•Passing AYP every year!

•Increasing the number of students enrolled and passing AP courses

•Developing a true Professional Learning Community with outstanding collaborative curriculum learning teams

•Increasing all types of technology and it’s integration into our instruction

•Putting in place our PBIS program Spartans:  Do Your PART

•The introduction of Spartan Time: our remediation and enrichment period

•Starting Spartan Spree and Touching Bases

•Improving the overall appearance of the building, the creation of fall and spring beautification days, and adding over $3 million dollars in improvements

•Improved communications with the weekly KIT messages, TVs throughout the building, and our electronic marquee out front

•A conscientious effort to improve our recycling efforts as a school

•The creation of the Springfield Burke Relay For Life event, raising over $320,000 in its first two years and involving almost 2000 participants, almost half of those being students

•With incredible community support, helping get WSHS on the 2011 Bond to start the process for renovation

Since I am very optimistic that the 2011 School Bond will pass this November, the new principal coming in will be able to be part of the entire process from planning through the completion of the renovation, right now estimated as 2019. 

I enjoy the many professional relationships and personal friendships with WSHS staff and parents. I will miss the daily interactions and cherish the relationships made even more after I leave, knowing they will serve as one way I will remain tied to WSHS.  I will continue to see many of you at church, local retail and restaurant establishments, at my daughters’ school, meetings, and so forth.  What I will tremendously is the interactions with the students because being around high school students for the past 27 years has kept me young at heart, even as I have grown older.  The energy you get from being around the students is what keeps every educator going.

I wear a Mickey tie for two reasons.  One it reminds me to stay young in my thinking and acting—I don’t want to grow old too quickly.  The second reason is because Walt Disney was an incredible visionary.  Things he thought of and put in place in the 50s are still in existence today.  There are some pretty exciting things being discussed in the field of education—21st century skills, education 2.0, standards based grading, and so forth.  I want to be part of those bigger discussions and help shape the future of education in FCPS for years to come.  This position allows me to do just that.      

Mrs. Leslie Butz, Assistant Superintendent for Cluster VI, will be sending you a letter explaining the principal hiring process and how you can have input.  The goal for naming a new principal is the end of October and I will remain here at WSHS until that point.

I thank you all for everything you did for me and my family during my tenure at WSHS.  I will treasure my time here and have become a better educator, parent, and person because of my experiences at such a wonderful education institution.  I wish you and your student(s) the very best for the rest of this school year and beyond.

Thanks for all—

PAW

Paul A. Wardinski

Principal