October is National Principals Month and we want to thank our ONC Principals! Beyond the day-to-day activities, Principals take on many roles, including teacher, parent, nurse, custodian and friend. They are strong, caring individuals who strive to ensure the success of each student.
They are the leaders of their buildings and build strong relationships with students, parents, teachers, staff and the community. Principals must be visionary and be able to see where the organization needs to go in order to provide the most opportunities for students. They are problem-solvers and these last eight months have been a nonstop, ever-changing problem with no clear solutions. Each and every day, Principals must make the hard decisions on what is best for the students, staff and school as a whole – not an easy task!
At times it can feel like it’s a thankless job, but we want our Principals, and all Principals, to know that their efforts and work are noticed, recognized and appreciated! All of us at ONC sincerely THANK our Principals: Mr. DeMars, Ms. Trask and Mr. Stevens!
As Principals Month comes to end, we wanted to showcase our Principals because they deserve all the accolades for their dedication to making our school buildings amazing!
Mr. Ryan DeMars is the Building Principal at OAOC and has been with ONC since 2016. Mr. DeMars attended a Career and Technical Education program in high school which opened many doors both professionally and educationally. Through BOCES and the program he attended, Mr. DeMars was able to further his training in college and then work in that industry after he graduated. Mr. DeMars says he became a Principal because he is so thankful for the BOCES experience that he had in high school and wanted to help students in all BOCES programs have a similar experience.
When asked what his favorite thing about being a Principal at ONC is, Mr. DeMars states, “seeing students work together to complete projects is without a doubt my favorite. When students get to bring their ideas to life and learn about what it takes to be employable in today’s workforce while doing so...it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Outside of being a fabulous Principal, Mr. DeMars enjoys ice hockey, baseball, comic books, smooth jazz, spending time with family and watching a good movie while enjoying some popcorn.
Thank you, Mr. DeMars!
Ms. Crystal Trask is the Building Principal at NCOC and began at ONC in 2019. Although she is newer to ONC, she is a seasoned educator with this being her 12th year in education. She has served as an Alternative Education Teacher, CTE Academic Integration Teacher, Instructional Technology Coordinator and now a Principal. She became a Principal because she believes a Principal has “the potential to have one of the greatest impacts in education, serving as an agent of change in support of students, teachers and learning.”
Ms. Trask's favorite things about being a Principal at ONC are the students, staff and the diverse opportunities that are offered to the students.
When she’s not being a Rockstar Principal, Ms. Trask enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors and binge-watching the latest Netflix must-see. She also loves to create! She creates via cooking, knitting, sewing, technology, construction, etc.… Ms. Trask loves “the challenge of learning new skills and practicing old ones coupled with the satisfaction of being able to say, ‘I made that.’”
Thank you, Ms. Trask!
Mr. Kevin Stevens is OAOC’s Assistant Principal and the Adult Education Coordinator. Mr. Stevens has been with ONC since 2016 and has many years of experience in different areas of education. He taught Earth Science and Chemistry for 18 priors prior to entering administration. He has been a Student Support Services Director, Athletic Director, Principal and CSE Chair. He became a Principal to provide support to students and teachers in creating an engaging learning experience. Mr. Stevens hopes to create a school climate that encourages teachers to explore their interests that then create engaging and real-world lessons that are relevant to their students.
Mr. Stevens states, “My favorite part of working at ONC BOCES is seeing the success of our students. Our programs give alternative pathways for students when that meets their needs and are successful, it is very rewarding.”
Outside of the education world, Mr. Stevens enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with his family. He golfs in the summer and skis in the winter and as a family, they enjoy paddling in their kayaks and canoes. He also spends much of his time working on restoring his 1870’s Italianate house in Milford.
Thank you, Mr. Stevens!