Page 33 - DistanceLearning

The district’s theme is “#MahwahConnects.” community together through a human connection. “I just want
And connecting was a central focus for Princi- them to feel that sense of community and support with me and our
dedicated staff,” Pascale said.
pal John Pascale well before COVID-19 struck.
But now that it is here, and everyone is adjusting to a new normal Connecting with high school students can be a challenge under
the best of circumstances. Reaching and connecting with them
that resembles nothing like the traditional school house, providing during an unprecedented life-changing pandemic and giving them
a sense of connection back to his school building became goal a sense of normalcy, comfort, and relatedness is a very special
number one. accomplishment achieved only through extraordinary hard work.
Principal Pascale knew he could continue to communicate with Pascale noted that he had recently reshared a Rita Pierson TED
the students through normal avenues such as using video Screen- Talk “Every Kid Needs a Champion” with his faculty members to
castify, which are still ongoing. And he knew he could continue to help boost their spirits. Principal Pascale, you are indeed that
communicate with his staff through his school-wide text message champion.
system. But realizing communicating was different than connect-
ing, Pascale went straight back to that district theme “#Mahwah-
Connects” and started thinking outside of the box… and outside of
his comfort zone! Principal John P. Pascale is the Principal at Mahwah High School

From his Instagram live “How to Make Mozzarella,” to pretending in Mahwah, NJ. You can find the posts referenced here and more
to ride Disney’s Seven Dwarf Mine train while encouraging every- on the district’s Instagram: mahwahhs
one to “find their happy place,” and my personal favorite: dressing
in winter gear, holding a snow shovel, and standing next to a giant
snowman while singing a quarantine version of Frozen’s “Do you
want to build a Snowman?” Pascale acknowledged he is not a
singer and even questioned how well his post would be received.
Turns out there was no cause for concern about the reception —
the entire school community looks forward to his always positive,
always morale-boosting, and always entertaining messages.
He isn’t keeping all the fun to himself, though, as he finds new and
creative ways to incorporate different areas of school life into his
posts. He borrowed a saxophone from his daughter and quickly
learned “Hot Cross Buns” as a way to connect with his perform-
ing arts students. The focus of his outreach varies depending on
the week and what is going on. A recent video message was a
communication to his graduating seniors and their families seek-
ing input for alternatives to graduation if a traditional ceremony
is prohibited. He said the goal of every post is to keep the school

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