Wellesley High School - Wellesleyan Yearbook (Wellesley, MA)

Page 18 text:

We All Wish He Didn’t Have to Leave... Slowly, in late January, a rumor floated around the school. Eventually, to everyone’s chagrin, Mr. Connors confirmed the rumor. We learned that our Principal Timothy P. Con¬ nors, would be leaving Wellesley High with our class in June to become superintendent of schools in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Since he arrived at W.H.S. five years ago, his ad¬ ministration has encouraged a more open, congenial relationship between students, faculty and the administration. His philosophy was to minimize time spent in the office and maximize time spent in the school. Mr. Connors achieved this through his corridor counseling techniques and his open door policy. Anyone who wished could have fre¬ quent access to him, bypassing the bureaucracy. Before Mr. Connors became our principal he was their principal at Bellengham Junior Senior High School in Bellingham, Mass., from 1972-1975. An ex-Marine, and championship basketball player, he was an All-American in football. He received his B.S. at Springfield College in 1966 after transferring from the University of Iowa in 1958. By 1970, he had earned an MA in education from Springfield College, then began teaching economics at Enfield High School in Enfield, Connecticut. He soon moved to the position of assistant principal of the same school from 1969-1970. In the spring of 1971 and fall of 1972, Connors taught education at Springfield College. Finally, after a lengthy search of nearly a year, Wellesley offered Mr. Connors the position of Principal of Wellesley High School. It was a wise decision to recruit and hire him. His unpretentious, people-oriented manner was simple but allowed for creativity. He motivated us to achieve our full potential with his honest, hard-working, open administra¬ tion. He helped build positive self-concepts in us as individuals. All of us were touched by his warmth and concern ... students, faculty, administrators, parents. We wish he didn’t have to leave. by Cindy Peterson Mr. Timothy P. Connors Principal Tim Connors with Assistant Principal Richard Carbone Principal Tim Connors with Assistant Principal Peter Vasaturo. 14 Principal Connors with School Committee members Fran O ' Leary, Edith Tucker. Liz Bachman and Carl Erikson.

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ABOVE: Only with his pipe can Mr. Esposito make it through THIS game. ABOVE: Wayne Hadlock and his humanitarians. ABOVE: Seniors Andy Van Praagh and Rob Lowell help coach St. Cyr. TO THE LEFT: Brooks Goddard, Juliet Avots, Rhonda Bretholtz, Jeanie Goddard relax at the end of the year faculty party.

Page 19 text:

Mr. Connors Reminisced About WHS ... “I’m not going to walk away from Wellesley High School, because I feel I’ll see everyone again. I’m not going to say good-bye, just ' see you later.’ ” Mr. Connors’ philosophy of his departure illustrated his fondness for Wellesley High. I won’t close Wellesley High off; I’ll remember the good people doing things for other people. I’ll look back and see this. We looked back with him and recalled many incidents that added dimension to our principal ' s affable personality. One unforgettable occurrence imprinted in every stu¬ dent’s mind was the 1980 racial incident. As Mr. Connors noted, It was a small group of kids which developed into a racial incident. This disturbed me. It stunned and angered many, but Mr. Connors was a stabilizing, calming force in the midst of the aftermath. He helped the students sort out their feelings and determine why it happen¬ ed. Sometimes chemistry makes things come to a head. Hopefully you can quell it, but given chemistry, at times you can’t contain it. The incident was unfortunate, but some will grow from it. Some won ' t, but they wouldn’t have grown anyway. Another incident by which we will remember Mr. Connors was his presence at the rally for the Athletic Director. Our principal couldn ' t take an active part, but when he was told the students wanted to strike, he advised us to hold a rally instead. He perceived it as an exhibit of the school’s cohesiveness. This event was a positive endeavor for all. The kids were listened to by the town. Renewal of our endangered accreditation and certification due to his efforts for the completed addition was a significant highlight of his five year tenure as our principal. It was a team effort, with the coop¬ eration of the teachers, the Steering Committee, parents and kids, as well as the administration. Together, all have helped set a course for the coming years, to help the town to see the possibility of our becoming a four-year high school in the next few years. Mr. Connors carries multitudes of memories with him to Woonsocket. So many people in the school impress me. One young man who’s a character in his own right will go out of his way to talk to those kids no one else talks to. He has grown close to co-workers and faculty members. I hate to name any because I’d have to name them all. He will think of all the athletic events, such as the effort of the soc¬ cer team, among others. One particular memory that lights his face with a grin was the tennis ball incident last year. I wasn’t prepared for such a large-scale battle! These are all events I’ll recall and remember the school by. Most of all, our principal will remember the total Wellese- ley High community. I think by and large that there’s a closeness between all of us, like a family. A healthy attitude makes the job enjoyable, and is a necessary ingredient in a successful school. Wellesley High, because of the student body and faculty, is a successful, healthy school. As he said, the affection between teachers, kids, and administra¬ tion Make it good. Mr. Connors truly believes that We can all learn from each other. I ' ve learned a lot from kids and teachers. The strengths of people help us learn to overcome our weak¬ nesses. He applied the philosophy to his behavior in a manner which has been Senior Class President Cindy Peterson and Vice President Meg Foley. apparent to all. Some¬ times, if you stop to read people and notice their feelings, you can learn from that. Our principal is truly a natural leader, combining charisma, cred¬ ibility, commitment, and caring in his work. His uni¬ que administration and dynamic personality will be warmly remembered by all of us who knew Timothy P. Connors. by Cindy Peterson President Class of 81 Jenny Barry, senior With Senior Ellen Karas