FREEPORT – Freeport High School Principal Bob Strong, 64, works hard to make sure the students feel like they have a voice in how the school is run. He said the school’s administration has been having lunch with small groups of seniors to discuss their years at the school and they listen to any suggestions for improvements the students may have, some of which have been implemented.

Strong, who has been on the job five years, lives in Freeport with his wife Vicki. They have three adult children, Craig, of Salem, Va.; Chrissy, who lives in Yarmouth; and Bob Jr., who lives in Freeport. Strong also has 10 grandchildren. He took a few minutes recently to talk about his job and what’s new this year at the school.

Q: What is your favorite part of being a high school principal?

A: Meeting and interacting with members of the student body. I have had the opportunity to serve as a high school administrator in five different high schools ranging in size from 300-plus students to 1,240 students. Each school had its own uniqueness, but the students are what make a school come alive, and they definitely do this at Freeport High School.

Q: What have you done to make the students feel more engaged with the administration?

A: Last year we changed the bus drop-off from the circle at the main entrance to the Freeport Performing Arts Center. As part of implementing this change, the administration decided we should be at the entrance to greet the bus students. Although students know the routine, we have found that greeting students at the FPAC (Freeport Performing Arts Center) or at the main entrance is a great way for us to start the day. It continues to be a great way to start the day.

The other activity we have implemented to help us understand what our students are experiencing (at school) is meeting with members of the senior class in groups of six to eight over the course of the year for lunch. We randomly select senior students and invite them to meet with administration to share their experiences of the previous three years and encourage them to offer suggestions in areas we could make improvements. All members of the senior class are invited (during the year, and) that has been met with very positive results.

(Some of the) suggestions that we have implemented (from the students) include: STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classes, new AP classes, new health and PE opportunities, increased guidance services, Spirit Week, new lockers, etc.

Guidance has also implemented an orientation for transfer students (upperclassmen) to help with their transition to Freeport High School. This was initiated last year, and has been very successful.

I am especially proud of being a member of the Freeport High School faculty. Freeport High School has a caring, compassionate and engaging faculty who focus on student well-being and success. The rapport between students and faculty is special and enhances the sense of community every school should seek.

Q: Has the formation of the RSU helped make that transition for kids coming to Freeport from Pownal and Durham easier?

A: I believe the transition, if it has changed, has been for the better. Students from all three communities continue to participate in co- and extra-curricular activities with no mention of where they live or previously attended school. As a former member of the senior class mentioned to me, “What I love about our school is the sense of community, we are one big family” That, in spite of our increase in enrollment, continues to be is a major characteristic/trait of Freeport High School.

Q: Are there any particular challenges to having kids from three towns under one roof, or do they all generally identify themselves as one big student body?

A: I have worked in several schools that were SADs and have found that students are resilient and adjust very quickly to change and a new school. I believe faculty, for the most part, are not aware of their students’ residences and definitely do not consider that to be a factor in a students’ success.

Q: The school year is just a month old. What new things are coming up for the students this school year?

A: We have developed many new interventions to support students academically. We have a new Problem Solving Team (formerly known as the Student Assistance Team) that is comprised of guidance counselors, administration, specialists, and teacher volunteers who will meet bi-weekly to review student academic progress and assign and provide interventions (if they are felt to be beneficial). Included among the many academic interventions is the newly formed math center. This program is modeled after our very successful writing center and is monitored by certified math teachers. The goal of this program is to identify and intervene when students are struggling in any of their mathematics classes.

Created after the start of the 2011-2012 school year and expanded for the present school year is our Service Learning and Community Service program. This (program) has enhanced and expanded student learning as teachers have received the assistance of Dede Bennell, our coordinator, to incorporate real-world learning experiences into their curriculum.

Student initiative has also spawned the creation of many new clubs, including the Interact Club and most recently Amnesty International. These and other new student clubs are a result of student experiences, research and the desire to make contributions and assist those folks and areas less fortunate.

Freeport High School Principal Bob Strong says the school has “a caring, compassionate and engaging faculty.”