The 2014 school year is promising to be full of new people and opportunities. This year one of the biggest changes is the newest staff member, Rob Bach. As the new head principal, Bach has many ideas on how the students and faculty can change in order to make the school a friendlier and better learning environment for all of the students.

Bach is starting his first year here as a principal after being a science teacher at Park high school and being an assistant principal at Park and at Woodbury High School as well. He will be looking forward to improving the quality of the school and learning this year.

This year, Bach would like to attain the four main goals that he and the staff members have come up with. The four goals center around student achievement, technology, college and career readiness and the school climate “Which is,” Bach explained, “how to make everyone feel like they’re in the same community.”

There have been a multitude of new things discussed for the 2014 school year; including the development and improvement of the building leadership team goals among the staff. Assistant principal Mary Leadem Ticiu said, “Although it doesn’t sound important necessarily to improve the building leadership goals, it effects kids dramatically in that its all about student achievement.”

Bach has been trying to get the school to come together as a community.

“He wants to make sure the atmosphere in the school is lively ans supportive” explained student council president Alaina Friedrich (’15). Bach would like to make the school a place where all students are comfortable in their environment. Bach believes that students should show pride in the school and should be proud to go to our school.

“I hope it means to everybody,” Bach said. “That everybody is legitimately proud to say that this is their school. And that people take ownership over that this is their school.”

Bach added, “Part of what that means is that everybody looks out for each other and everybody takes pride in not just their facility but also the people at the end of the day that call themselves ponies too.”

Last year, the school had an intern principal, he was only planning on staying for the one year. He was not focused on the future years at Stillwater Area High School; he only focused on the developments for one year. Bach is different because he plans on sticking around at our school in the years to come.

Ticiu said, “This gentleman is committed to the experience this year and beyond.”

Principal Bach continues to focus on developing a quality school and environment.