As the school year comes to an end, some people take a moment to reflect on the year behind them. Parkway Central principal Tim McCarthy ends his first year here feeling successful.
“I think there’s still time left, but I haven’t screwed it up yet,” McCarthy said.
Although he has only been at Central for one year, many students feel that McCarthy has succeeded as a principal, including senior Jonathan Rembold. According to Rembold, many of the upperclassmen appreciate McCarthy’s effort in trying to connect with the students.
“He has done a good job this year. He had big shoes to fill, but he showed that he really cared about the students here when he came to various school events. He even went to Washington, Mo., just to watch our band show,” Rembold said.
One of McCarthy’s favorite aspects of being a high school principal is being a part of the extracurricular activities. According to McCarthy, part of the challenge of his job is the length of the actual school day. However, activities outside of school enhance his experience.
“It’s so much fun to be a part of [activities]. You get to see kids in different environments where they can challenge themselves and be successful. It’s a wonderfully talented student body,” McCarthy said.
According to McCarthy, the commitment of Central students, teachers and parents sets Central apart from others. McCarthy believes that although there are a lot of similarities between Parkway Central and Parkway West, the site of his previous job, some differences are evident.
“[There are] so many great kids and students here. It’s similar, but at the same time there’s a different feeling here. You can’t put language to the differences, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first year here,” McCarthy said.
Although some principals may try to change policies and traditions at a new school, Rembold feels that McCarthy has made an effort to keep Central the same to the point that he hasn’t noticed any obvious changes to the school this year.
“In a year, it’s hard to change a lot. McCarthy’s learning, so I don’t think he wants to implement new ideas yet. It will be interesting to see what changes in the next four years,” Rembold said.
Assistant Principal Sarah Powers agrees with Rembold, believing that McCarthy always tries to get input from everyone before making the executive decision. According to Powers, the biggest change that Central has seen this year because of McCarthy would be the decision-making process.
“He loves to dialogue. It’s a part of who he is. He loves to talk about the big picture, which takes longer, but you know there will be more input [for decisions],” Powers said.
Rembold believes there are significant differences between McCarthy and previous principal Tim Gannon. According to Rembold, while Gannon was more reserved, McCarthy has an outgoing personality that helps him connect with his students.
“They’re different in the ways they lead, but they both love having an impact with kids,” Powers said.
One characteristic Rembold and Powers like about McCarthy is his approachability. According to Powers, McCarthy always asks for advice and wants to take his time to understand what the culture is like here at Central.
Rembold agrees, saying that McCarthy approached him before school started to talk about the upcoming year.
“He did his homework. He was open to new ideas and always knew what was going on. I’m going to miss his enthusiasm,” Rembold said.
Whether it’s attending school events or talking to kids in the hall, McCarthy’s presence has been noted. As the year winds down to a close, McCarthy asks the students to reflect not only on his first year but on their school year as well.
“It can be challenging, but you have to know this is a pretty cool group of young people who work with talented teachers. It’s not like this everywhere,” McCarthy said. “I want to encourage them to recognize how special their Central High experience is.”
