Each morning when you walk into school, you might notice that one person is always there to greet you: Mr. Frank Carlson, our new assistant principal. Always saying “good morning” to his students with a big smile on his face, Mr. Carlson could not be more thrilled to be at Ardsley High School. “My favorite part of my job is my interactions with students,” says Mr. Carlson. “Our students are so well-rounded -- they participate in clubs, they play sports, they are always finding ways to get involved -- and I get the chance to see them in action.” Mr. Carlson also refers to Ardsley as a community; “the camaraderie of spirit week, the ways that students give back to those around them, and the overall engagement of the student body are all key to this community,'' he observes.
Prior to his position at Ardsley, Mr. Carlson was a Social Studies teacher in Portchester -- where he also worked with ENL students, served as the eighth-grade academic leader, and coached football and basketball. He was then the Assistant Principal in New Rochelle. Now in his first year at Ardsley, he is hoping to take time to learn as much as he can. “With Ms. Trippodo and I both being new, we aren’t looking to make huge changes immediately. It’s really important for both of us to get a feel for the school and the district to set a basis for making educated decisions,” Mr. Carlson says.
That being said, one topic that is particularly important to Mr. Carlson is social and emotional learning. Based on his diverse background in education and his knowledge of high schools around the country, Mr. Carlson recognizes the need to make sure that every student feels safe, comfortable, and included at all times. “I know that students can get overwhelmed with schoolwork, but I want to help them accommodate their schedules and I want high school to be a high point in their lives,” explains Mr. Carlson. He views social and emotional learning not as something that can easily be addressed and “fixed” overnight, but instead as an ongoing process that requires attention in both the short and long runs. “If we don’t have healthy, happy, engaged students, then we don’t have anything” Mr. Carlson contends. “It’s my goal to help them find balance and to guide them towards ways to accommodate their schedules. I would advise students to step back sometimes and find time to spend with friends and family.”
Mr. Carlson also encourages students to get involved in extracurriculars. He sees the many sports and clubs at AHS as some of the greatest opportunities for students to explore their passions, and he thinks that it is great for students to try their hand at many different activities when they are teens. Mr. Carlson especially encourages students to “think about how you can give back -- that’s always a good thing. Enable yourself to be a good citizen by supporting a friend or helping out a stranger”. In fact, Mr. Carlson’s actions speak even louder than his words: when he was at Portchester, the middle school production, Hairspray, required teacher volunteers, so Mr. Carlson fully embraced the opportunity and played the part of Lincoln Hairspray. “I’m a terrible dancer and singer, but the students had a great time coming out to see me make a fool out of myself!” Mr. Carlson jokes. In the end, it is always “students above all else” for Mr. Carlson. He encourages students to reach out if they ever have anything that they would like to discuss with him, and he cannot wait to get to know everyone in the year ahead.