New Vice Principal at MHS

By Eric Usinger

Many say that Massapequa High School suffered a major loss when Vice Principal Pauline Kohler retired last year. Kohler, described as a very active vice principal, worked closely with the students and faculty. And, for the past school year, the district has been conducting a search for a suitable replacement.

Massapequa High School's newest Vice-principal, Dawn Schlich.

An interview team was set up, led by Massapequa High School Principal Jim Maloney, they interviewed close to 30 candidates.

Dawn Schlich, an honors teacher in the Freeport School District, had sent her resume for an administrative position to the Massapequa School District. Her resume was quite impressive. A graduate of Binghamton University, Schlich earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in math education. From there she continued her education at St. John's University where she attained a certificate in administration before the age of 30.

Schlich was only one among a large number of candidates for the position. But, because of many of her accomplishments and wide range of qualifying characteristics, she was one of two candidates selected by the interview team for a final interview with the board of education.

"I think she really impressed the entire board with her methodical way of doing things," said School Board President Robert Thompson.

One extraordinary accomplishment that Schlich attached to her impressive resume was her work in successfully writing a grant, submitted to the Hewlett-Packard computer corporation, which earned the Freeport School District $5,000 for new technology in the schools.

"You can't be stagnant," Schlich said. "You have to constantly grow and constantly strive to do more, or else you get stuck doing the same thing for 30 years."

In fact, at the Freeport School District, Schlich participated in a program where she taught college level statistics to high school students via satellite. Schlich taught five students in her class, along with students in two other participating school districts on Long Island. "It was a whole different approach to teaching," she noted.

As the vice-principal at MHS, Schlich's responsibilities will include drafting the master schedules for students, organizing mid-term and final exam schedules, and collecting the data for the New York State's Board of Regents report card for the high school.

"This position doesn't call for a lot of student interaction but I want it to be," she said.

Schlich said that she hopes to work with the students at the high school on a personal level. "I think I can help them find a direction on a personal level and on a future professional level," she said.

A resident of Seaford, Schlich said she wants people in the community to have the opportunity to realize that there is another side to her; other than the ambitious over-achiever. A tri-athlete, she works out at a local gym every week and tries to keep herself physically fit.

Schlich has two young children, her daughter Samantha is 6 years old and her son Billy is 2 1/2 years old. Her husband Bill is a CPA who works for the corporation Ernst and Young.

For six months during the year, her home is the residence of another member of the family; the dog Dexter. Dawn's twin sister Lisa Scully, a Massapequa resident, leaves Dexter with Dawn's family when she travels during the year.

Schlich said that, although she loves the community she lives in, she may one day move into Massapequa. "There is a good chance that we might end up living there, in a nice house on the water," she said, adding that she would like her children to benefit from some of the fine programs that the district offers for toddlers.

Schlich will start her new job on Dec. 22, when she will leave her position as the chair of the mathematics department at Dodd Junior High in Freeport. She was originally scheduled to begin on Dec. 15 but the Freeport School District was unable to find a replacement for Schlich in the time given, so the Massapequa School District agreed to allow her to remain for the additional week.

Schlich said that it's going to be difficult for her to get used to all the new faces, but that she's looking forward to the adventure. "Like any new situation there is anxiety but there is also excitement," she commented.