By Sara Haflich, FMHS Principal

It is with extreme excitement that I enter into the 2012-2013 school year representing and leading the wonderful staff and students at Frazier Mountain High School.

I have had the privilege of creating strong relationships with the students, staff, and parents over the past five years of employment with El Tejon Unified School District. As part of a passionate management team for the district, as a community member and as a parent, my goal is to continue to build upon the tremendous positive momentum that Falcon Pride has brought to our high school campus.

Providing the absolute best education a small high school can offer to both present and future students, our goal is to help ensure success in whatever avenues our students choose to follow after high school.

Based upon student requests, we are proud to be offering new classes this year. Those include Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology, Practical Law and Agricultural Mechanics. We are bringing Sociology back, and hoping to provide Driver’s Education. For students who need extra support,we will also continue to offer intervention classes geared toward individual needs.

Along with improved and more rigorous graduation requirements, our coaching staff and advisers in all areas have been working hard to prepare our athletes for a successful year, with exciting activities to come.

I am also pleased to welcome onto the high school campus an environment-changing program called ‘Rachel’s Challenge.’ This exciting school program—which is also being implemented at Frazier Park and El Tejon Schools—focuses on uniting all campuses within the school district and with the community in a positive way. It will begin in September with presentations geared to individual school sites, with a community presentation in the evening. We are so lucky to have dedicated, involved parents and community members.

I will work to continue to help build these relationships. They are essential to the health of our schools.

Frazier Mountain High School will continue to provide an environment where students are just as excited to come to learn as our staff is to come to educate.

Falcon Pride has taken hold, and will continue to soar.

Sara Haflich was raised in Bakersfield, then attended Cal State Bakersfield, where she received her bachelor’s degree, teaching credentials and master’s degree. She accepted her first teaching position at the age of 21, transferring four years later to the district where she grew up.

“I wanted to be involved in my neighborhood district,” Haflich says, “That is why I care so deeply about being involved in our Mountain Community school district.”

Her master’s degree in Education at CSB was followed by administrative degrees at Loma Linda University.

“My husband and I decided to move to Piñon Pines nine years ago to raise our children in a better environment,” the new principal said. She has two daughters, ages six and nine, who attend Frazier Park Elementary School.

This is part of the July 27, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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