We’ll miss Mr. Davis (Even if he’s not going very far)

By Abigail Miller, Sophomore

Mr. Davis never set out to be a principal, but he made it his goal to be the best one he could be while he worked at Nazareth High School. He did his best to bond with his students over 17 years in this position and has enjoyed almost every minute of it. With his move to becoming the director of secondary teaching and learning, he’ll be working closely with teachers to plan out the curriculums of different subjects across middle and high school.

After teaching at Emmaus High School (I know, awful, right?) for two years he started shadowing their vice principal to earn his master's degree. The current principal, unfortunately, fell ill and had to go on medical leave from November to the end of the school year. That meant that the assistant principal had to move up and fill his role as principal. Knowing that Mr. Davis was starting his internship, they reached out and offered him the position of acting assistant principal and hired a substitute teacher for his class. 

With all the hours he needed, Mr. Davis left for the summer thinking he had the best internship experience for the teaching job he thought he would be returning to in the fall. Little did he know that while he and his family were on vacation he would come home to a voicemail on his answering machine telling him that the vice principal was moving up and they would like him to come back the next school year as the official vice principal.

He went on to be the assistant principal at Emmaus for another year before applying to the vice principal at Nazareth. As you might have guessed, he got the job. He was vice principal here at Nazareth for 3 years before becoming principal for another 17.

Everything just happened to fall into place at just the right time. Especially considering that when asked what his dream job would have been, he said he would have loved to work for either the Phillies or the Eagles. In a way, he still got what he wanted, even if our mascot is the Blue Eagle.

Photo from Twitter

As Principal of the Blue Eagles, he did his best to connect and get to know his students. He attended as many games as he could in his time here, not wanting to be the typical old principal locked away in his office. He wanted to see his students’ accomplishments “whether it's academic success, or athletics, or the music department, or theater, you know,  just seeing students in a different light…. Not just in the hallway or in the classroom… but seeing them participate, succeed, perform… is always exciting to me.”

As the director of secondary teaching and learning, Mr. Davis will be overseeing the education of the students in the high school as well as the middle school. He will be focusing on bigger-picture items like curriculum and general education rather than the day-to-day nuances of just the high school.

He is looking forward to the change of pace, hopefully, something slower. He believes that “change is good for the person and the organization” and thinks it’s “time for someone with a different perspective” to come in and shake things up at the high school. That's where Mr. Breidinger comes in.

Sometime between now and January Mr. Breidinger will leave Easton High School, where he's worked for 18 years, and step into the new role as principal. This will be a taxing job, but Mr. Davis has full confidence that he can handle it. Working less than 10 miles away, Mr. Breidinger can use the different environments of Easton to his advantage working at Nazareth. 

Don't worry seniors, your principal of 3.5 years will still be able to send you off at graduation. Mr. Davis and Mr. Breidinger will be doing a joint graduation ceremony to welcome Mr. Breidinger and say farewell to Mr. Davis. This will be a great way to end the 17-year-long chapter at Nazareth and start drafting a new one.

FEATURE: New Nazareth Area High School Assistant Principal: Wehr Did He Come From?

 by Kaylie Kirkham, junior

They sat around the table - administrators, students, and staff alike - with a knowing look in their eyes. The committee had reached a decision. 

It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but the position needed to be filled. Rosario Amato had left Nazareth Area High School to become the assistant principal at Nazareth Area Intermediate School, leaving grades 10 and 12 without an assistant principal. 

The committee voiced their decision aloud, “Matthew Wehr.” They needed someone with experience, imagination, and passion to fill the position. Matthew Wehr was just the man they needed. 

Wehr chose to apply for the position here at NAHS because of friendships he had already established with some of the staff. While attending graduate school to obtain his principal’s certificate, Wehr had classes with several Nazareth Administrators such as Alan Davis, Mark Madson, Dr. Dennis Riker, and Dr. Isabel Resende. When Wehr met them, he really liked their approach to school and education. Wehr jumped at the chance to work with several people that he respected. 

In addition to existing friendships, Wehr fell in love with the Nazareth community when he moved here in 2012. He felt that NASD would be a great place for his kids to attend school one day, so he decided to take this job to start paving the way for them. “I felt like it was the best change for me and my family and my career,” he said. 

Wehr was not alone in his desire to work at NAHS. Several other candidates applied for the position, but Wehr stood out to all 3 selection committees. Alan Davis, principal of NAHS, said, “Mr. Wehr was the best candidate based on his previous experience, his personality and demeanor, and his ideas for how we can continue to make our school better in several key areas.” 

Wehr left a similar impression on his previous principal at Bangor HS, Andrew Krohn, whom he considers a close friend and mentor. Krohn said of Wehr, “He is a forward thinker who works hard to provide the best possible opportunities for students. [He] is relatable and will work hard to support the NAHS community. Our loss is truly Nazareth’s gain.”

Although Wehr worked in administration for 6 years at Bangor HS previous to working here at NAHS, it wasn’t easy getting to that point in his career. When he was in high school, Wehr focused mostly on sports, rather than education. 

Wehr played soccer for his high school, which happens to be Bangor HS. He even held two records, Single Season Assist and Career Assist, for a time. Unfortunately, soccer wasn’t going to be a part of his future. Wehr ended up picking English Education as his college major. 

Although it hadn’t been his dream job as a teenager, Wehr loved his job as a teacher and took it very seriously. All throughout his many years of teaching, he was constantly looking for ways to improve his classroom. 

“Mr. Wehr was always eager to grow as a professional and never hesitated to try new methods in his classroom,” said Lisa Kienzle, an old friend and co-worker of Wehr. 

“When I was in the classroom, I really cared how kids felt in my class… I was constantly thinking of how to make it better [and] I changed things all the time. That’s what made teaching in the classroom really fun,” Wehr said. 

However, as Kienzle pointed out, Wehr was always looking for ways to grow professionally. In education, there are only so many opportunities to do that. So Wehr decided to take the next step: Administration. 

After Wehr went back to school to obtain his principal's certificate, he got his first job in administration at an elementary school. He was the Dean of Students, which is similar to an assistant principal. He held this position for one year before accepting a job as the assistant principal at Bangor HS, where he stayed for 6 years. 

Just as he did as a teacher, Wehr put everything he had into his job as an assistant principal. Being an assistant principal offered him a unique opportunity to build up not just students, but staff as well, including some of his previous teachers from when Wehr attended Bangor HS as a student. 

“[Mr. Wehr] is someone I trust wholeheartedly and through our interactions I have become a better leader, educator, and person. There is not a better friend and colleague I could have had the opportunity to work with,” Krohn said. 

Wehr built many strong connections during his 6 years at Bangor HS and influenced many lives for good. His friends were sad to see him go, but also excited to see where this new opportunity would take him and how he would grow. 

“Mr. Wehr is a rising star who will benefit the NAHS students, staff, and community. I know Mr. Wehr will quickly show the leadership ability and traits that made him so invaluable [to] us,” said Krohn. 

He was quite right. In the short amount of time since he started working here at NAHS, Wehr has already made a positive impression on the staff members. “[Mr. Wehr] has been very eager to learn our policies and procedures and to get to know as many staff members and students as possible. It’s not an easy task, but he approaches each day with a positive attitude and a desire to learn,” said Davis. 

Wehr works hard each day to create new opportunities, as well as improve existing ones, for the NAHS students. Although he does occasionally have to deal with discipline, there is so much more to being an assistant principal. Wehr noticed that NAHS has many different clubs and activities that students can participate in. A big part of his job is to help those clubs, activities, and school functions get started and running smoothly. 

Wehr has also noticed the positive atmosphere in the NAHS community. “Everybody treats each other like family. [The] teachers seem to be very close with one another and work together. I think that trickles into you guys as students. You seem to get along well,” he said. 

An even bigger part of his role as assistant principal is to help students learn and grow into the best versions of themselves. Wehr gives this advice: “High school is only four years of your life…[so] have as much fun as you can. Work hard… to meet your potential, if not exceed it… That will only set you up for better success moving forward.”

There are no limits to who or what an individual can become, only those they place upon themselves. Wehr has lived by this principle his entire life. He has constantly sought to improve himself and his career. That determination is what brought him to his current position today, assistant principal of NAHS. Even now, Wehr is still reaching higher and hopes to one day become a building principal.

Photo Credit: Sandy Jameson

NEWS: Principal's Student Forum Takes Off

by Kaylie Kirkham, junior

Dress codes, study hall release, schedule changes, COVID protocol, clubs and activities, vaping awareness. All of these issues are prevalent in the lives of students here at NAHS. Each student has an opinion and a voice. What good is that voice if it goes unheard? We have the power to shape the world around us, but we can’t do it silently.

This is why Mr. Davis, Mr. Wehr, and Mrs. Tashner have decided to institute the Principal's Student Forum. This forum meets once per month during 3rd block to discuss the changes students would like to see made in NAHS. This forum is open to any students who wish to join.

The first meeting of the Student Principal Forum was held on January 28. The students in attendance were given a Nearpod link where they were able to submit their opinions on several different topics. After the students were given the time to think through the prompts, Mr. Davis, Mr. Wehr, and Mrs. Tashner led a large group discussion about the issues.

Students voiced their opinions on the dress code, Eagle Block, the loss of the fourth lunch, COVID protocol, and new ideas for clubs and activities. The administrators listened carefully and responded to each student's concern individually.

Mr. Davis, Mrs. Tashner, and Mr. Wehr want to make NAHS a place where students feel safe, happy, and most importantly, heard. They plan to continue to hold the Principal Student Forum once a month. Any students with any input are welcome to join.

If you have any suggestions on how to improve our school, keep an eye on schoology for sign ups. Your voice matters, so let it be heard!


Photo credit: Kaylie Kirkham