“Work, effort, and support” said Mr. Robert Wargo on his first day as principal at Scituate High School. It is this mantra that he will continue to use throughout the year to measure success. For Mr. Wargo, it isn’t about how many students get an A, but rather if they learn skills that will help them in the future. “My vision for Scituate High School is academic success for all students” he said and this means making sure there is an individual focus on every student and that learning becomes a meaningful experience.
Mr. Wargo brings a plethora of experience to the Scituate High School community, most recently as principal at King Philip Regional High School. His path in education has included working in a Boston after school program, working with special needs students, time as a school counselor, an athletic director, and finally in administration.
“I wanted to be a professional basketball player really late in life. I wasn’t practical. I was immature” Mr. Wargo said of his time spent in high school and that he “was so devoted to sports I thought that was going to take me somewhere in life.” Mr. Wargo was very involved in athletics in high school, running cross country and track as well as playing basketball. In terms of education, however, Mr. Wargo remembers one special teacher, his German teacher, Mr. Lewis. “Herr Lewis” as Mr. Wargo called him, made learning interesting and fun, which was appreciated since he wasn’t as dedicated a student as he wishes he was.
Mr. Wargo’s high school experiences led him to Depauw University in Indiana where he spent 2 and a 1/2 years before he realized that he had to find himself before continuing with his college education. After some soul searching as a waiter and dishwasher, Mr. Wargo returned to school at the University of Maryland where he studied counseling and psychology. He later attended Northeastern University for his master’s degree.
Scituate High School will definitely be seeing some changes with Mr. Wargo leading the ship, and some have already begun. The library has been reorganized to become a more welcoming environment for research and resources. He is also interested in adding more greenery to the halls of SHS to make the building “less stale.”
“Physical things are easy to do. What’s harder to change is the culture. I don’t want to continue to change, but continue to improve.” Mr. Wargo has been thoroughly impressed with SHS thus far, citing the great “parental support, vigor and enthusiasm towards education, and ability to see new ideas…I’m not sure if you realize how great this place is.” The new principal plans to become a part of SHS culture by going to school activities, games, and productions as well as getting to know as many people as he can. “I play Frisbee. I try to be visible. I can’t force relationships. I have to let them grow” Wargo said about becoming part of the culture of SHS.
The new principal is also very interested in SHS’s schedule, seeing possible changes in the future. Although no one is considering a new schedule yet, Mr. Wargo has issues with the amount of time students spend in class. He dislikes the fact that classes don’t meet every day, as sometimes this can cause a long time between contact between students and teachers as well as contact between the students and the material.
To the seniors, Mr. Wargo had a special note: “I may never be your principal. When you graduate your principal will be Ms. Nuzzo. I’m not here to steal those memories” but he is interested in getting to know the Class of 2013 and all the students at SHS.
He has been very happy about the fact that people come up to introduce themselves as this helps him to get to know everyone. He wants students to feel comfortable to come to him with ideas, whether it is for a new club, or if someone sees a problem they wish to be addressed. “You never know, you might get a yes if you try something. You might be flabbergasted.”