I recently conducted an interview with our new principal, Mr. Jeff Cheney, and I can say first-hand that he has a true passion for his job, a job that he fully understands. Mr. Cheney has had plenty of other jobs in the academic field as both a teacher and a principal, so we can rest assured that we are in good hands this school year. I have had the pleasure of asking him a few questions about his feelings, his plans and his goals for his time at North, and his responses all had the best interests of the school and its students behind them.

Do you feel welcome here at North?

“I feel very welcomed here; I think this school community is caring and welcoming in nature to begin with. I haven’t really heard a rumor about myself.”

He truly feels that our student body is friendly and good-natured, for which I personally am very proud of.

What kind of image do you want to make for yourself as a principal?

“I don’t think I’m overly concerned about an image for myself, though I certainly want to come across as a principal who is visible and engaged with the students and teachers. I am more concerned about the image that our school creates, and as the leader of the school I have to be the one to model that.”

How will you interact with the student body?

“Interacting with students has been what I’ve been doing for the past few days. I plan on meeting with and working with the students because I believe the students have a lot to offer because they are the ones that are going to seven classes a day and getting involved with the sixty plus organizations we have here. I would be foolish to not ask their opinions and try to figure out what they want and what they think is important at school.”

Mr. Cheney has already been meeting with our DECA students to talk about the current construction of the school. He also plans to meet and speak with the theater students about the PAC and improvements that can be made there along with multiple other clubs and organizations here at North.

What plans do you have for the future of the school?

“North has the highest funding in the county, so the resources we have to make improvements are very good.”

This funding has provided us with the current reconstruction that has been going on, and will be used to introduce even more non-academic courses that suit the interests of our students in the future. Mr. Cheney’s interest in adding more programs to the school is “extremely high,” and he feels it is necessary to create more opportunities for students to learn. “I’m most interested in creating a friendly school environment where students can enjoy their experience and create relationships with the staff. I think that’s the most important thing.”