Wellesley High School - Wellesleyan Yearbook (Wellesley, MA)

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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

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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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We Wish Tim Success in His Future... Tim Connors with Miss Hickey and Mrs. Copell. Faculty members feelings about Tim Connors’ departure are ambiguous. George Kerivan, Sr. summed up everyone’s reaction, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I’m sorry to see him go, but on the other hand, I’m very happy for him. I feel like a father who hates to see his son go off to college, but wishes him the best.” So it is here at WHS, a family of students, faculty and administrators are torn between feelings of joy and grief. “Those of us at WHS who have had the chance to become acquainted with Tim Connors have seen a combination of great human qualities plus tremendous ad¬ ministrative skills, resulting in a unique, sensitve man whose leadership has brought the faculty closer together.” Dick Carbone, who has worked closely with Tim Connors, commented on his administrative qualities, “He’s a very unique man because he’s able to have the respect and admiration of both the faculty and student body. As an administrator, this combination is difficult to achieve, but Tim’s tremendous enthusiasm and stamina has overcome such a barrier.” The past year has been a difficult time for the administration and the faculty. Proposition 2Vfe has forced Tim Connors to make difficult professional decisions, regardless of personal ties. Even so, Tim Connors has managed to maintain an optimistic attitude. Jim Sullivan, in the math department, elaborated on Tim’s op- Jigcusm. “ He keeps up the faculty’s spirits during such dividing times. He supports the staff without sacrificing quality of performance.” In order to keep open the communication between administration and faculty, a balance of organization, sensitivity, and responsibility is needed. Tim Connors, as an administrator, has shown outstanding organizational skills. He is always readily available to listen to the problems of his faculty, and he utilizes his authority pro¬ perly to attain the best solution to any problem. Brooks Goddard elaborated, “He’s been a personable and skillful administrator. He’s given us support through a difficult year which has in turn increased the faculty’s awareness of its academic independence and integrity.” Tim Connors has an air of intuitive concern for others which helps him be aware of those members of the faculty and student body who may have a problem which needs to be discussed but who may not have confronted the principal. “He has a total commitment and passion for working with people.” This statement by Gig Kerivan expressed clearly what many of us see in our principal. Tim Connors always finds the time to help a student or teacher in need, even with his hectic schedule. Both Jim Sullivan and Dick Carbone underscored that personable attribute found in Tim Connors ... “He has a deep love for working with young ... Tim thoroughly enjoys hearing the feelings and problems of the faculty and the students ... he really likes people, particularly young people ... he’s not just going through the motions ... he really cares.” In these tough times for education, the atmosphere between students and teachers can be strained with an air of tension, a kind of rebellion. Tim Connors helped to eliminate that tension by not only making himself visible about the school, but also with his optimistic attitude as he walked about the building and visited classrooms. Gig Kerivan has said, “His optimism is contagious. I can work closer to my potential because of Tim Connors’ support and optimistic attitude.” Linda Hadlock stated, “He’s created an incredibly positive atmosphere. His concern for the needs of people and his involvement in school activities has made the faculty eager to participate and become a part of the school as opposed to a ’faculty in a mandatory administration.” We’ll all miss Tim Connors personally. His feelings for life and positive attitude has brought us all through hard times. Rocky Edwards perhaps prophesied the feel¬ ings of the faculty when he stated, “You never know how much you miss someone until they’re gone.” Dick Carbone expressed the feelings of our entire community toward our principal, “He is a unique, outstanding school leader whose loss will be felt by the students, the parents and the faculty.” Janice Barrett mused about his relationships with faculty members during his five years at WHS, “He is an extraordinary human being; incredibly bright, compas¬ sionate, sensitive, with a wonderful warm sense of humor. We all respect his integri¬ ty and honesty; we all admire his dedication and enthusiasm. He is a good friend. We’ll all miss Tim Connors’ professional and personal concern for others, but we wish him every success in his future. Wellesley’s loss is Woonsocket’s gain.” by Mielle Fox Class of ’81 Tim Connors with head of the Guidance Department, Mr. Harmon.