Local principal accepts Bertram H. Holland Award

Mary Jo Nawrocki, principal of Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, with her husband, Mark Nawrocki, after she was named Principal of the Year by the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators' Association at the MSSAA Summer Institute on Cape Cod. PHOTO/SUBMITTTED Marlborough - The finale of the recent annual Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators' Association

MSSAA) summer institute in Falmouth was the presentation of several awards to area educators. Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School (AVRTHS) Principal Mary Jo Nawrocki was named High School Principal of the Year and presented with the Bertram H. Holland Award for her tireless eff orts on the school's behalf.

Nawrocki has been at AVRTHS for her entire career as an educator, starting as a health and physical education teacher and coach, then director of curriculum and student assessment, and, finally, appointed principal in 2003.

In her five years as principal, Nawrocki has taken to heart the theme of "raising the bar," encouraging input and leadership from both students and faculty members. AVRTHS currently has a 100 percent passing rate on MCAS testing, a nationally certified pre-engineering program, a growing number of Advanced Placement courses, and is one of a handful of Massachusetts schools to be chosen as a State Scholars school.

As Nawrocki accepted her award, she acknowledged the administrative team and School Committee members who'd made the trip to congratulate her, thanking them for their constant support and belief in her.

"Sometimes I come up with some crazy ideas, but you're always willing to support me in my eff orts for kids," Nawrocki said. "This may be the MVP award, but it took a team effort to make the changes we've made at Assabet Valley, and I want to sincerely thank each of you for all you've done to help make this possible."

Nawrocki will travel to Washington, D.C., in October for a summit with the Principal of the Year recipients from the rest of the country.