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TeenBeat reporters Tony Levesque and Rhiannon White interview new FMHS principal Anthony Saba.
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(l-r) McCASA’s Lisa Walter holds the computer from which Sierra Kerr skyped to the first meeting of the TeenBeat core team. Tyfannee Davis, Anthony Levesque, Rhiannon “Rain” White and Madison Marasa also attended the orientation with Managing Editor Patric Hedlund (not shown) at the Coffee Cantina July 15.
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Anthony Saba, 33 of Bakersfield is the new principal for Frazier Mountain High School.
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By Tony Levesque, TeenBeat
At a time when every school in the Mountain Communities, including Gorman Elementary, has lost its principal (with the exception of Pine Mountain Learning Center), it was good to meet the new principal for Frazier Mountain High School last week.
His name is Anthony Saba and he is 33 years old. He came to the organizational meeting of our new TeenBeat Magazine to let each of our team practice our interviewing skills with him. We learned he has a wife named Tricia who teaches kindergarten. His daughter is named Haley, age 9, and his son named Eric is 7 years old. Mr. Saba says he is a real family man and his family always comes first to him.
During the first week of school, Mr. Saba said he plans to survey the students to see what they would like to add to the school’s electives. He wants to consider what can be brought back, within the school’s budget.
He said he also plans to interact with the students a lot, during lunch or at passing periods or by sitting in on classes. He says he’s the type of guy who is going to make small talk with the students about what interests them.He also plans to be at the sports games, supporting our teams.
The new principal said his biggest challenge is adapting to the Mountain Communities. He doesn’t live up here; he lives in Bakersfield. Mr. Saba said in our TeenBeat interviews on July 15 that this may be a difficult time to sell his home in Bakersfield, but his family is looking at houses up here.
His goals are to improve both the school’s athletic and academic programs. He says the most important part about being in a sports team is the lifelong skills that come with it, like learning teamwork.
Mr. Saba is enthusiastic.He says he intends to bring a new meaning to the words “Falcon Pride” in the high school and in the community. He says he is devoted to making that happen.
“While [fomer prinicpal] Mr. Penner may be missed by many, sometimes fresh ideas from new people can be good,” said Chris Vaughn, a parent and an active member of the Booster Club. “We should do our best to support our new principal,” she added.
New Faces
TeenBeat Magazine is a new face in town. It is produced by Hometown Publishing and co-sponsored by McCASA (the Mountain Communities Coalition Against Substance Abuse) and the Drug Free Communities initiative.
TeenBeat will be included in The New Mountain Pioneer several times a year. We appreciated the enjoyable visit by Anthony Saba, new FMHS principal, to our first gathering. —Patric Hedlund
This is part of the July 22, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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