Steven Searfoss is Hills' New Vice Principal
By Eleanor Mathews
Steven Searfoss, a seasoned educator with 26 years of experience, was appointed vice principal by the Watchung Hills Regional High School Board of Education at its September 15 meeting. Shifts in Hills’ administrative staff put former Vice principal Beverly DiGeronimo in the position of Director of Curriculum and Instruction, leaving a vacancy on the vice principal level.
Searfoss comes to Watchung Hills from the North Hunterdon-Voorhees District with an impressive 26-year record: eighteen years at North Hunterdon High School, eight at Voorhees High School. In addition to his work with learning disabled and emotionally disturbed students, Searfoss also served for many years as a coach: assistant football coach, head lacrosse coach, and girls’ indoor track.
Searfoss, who has his bachelor’s degree from Boston University and the Master’s in Education from Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, welcomed the move to a full vice principal’s position at Watchung Hills Although his chief responsibility will be discipline on the junior class level, he hopes to branch out to other facets of education in such areas as curriculum, instruction and human resources.
With a background of so many years of dealing one-on-one with young people, Searfoss (who served as Dean of Students and Disciplinarian for the past eight years) looks at “discipline,” not in the conventional sense of punishment or retribution, but as “guiding students in the right direction when they fall off track.”
Though no longer actively involved in coaching, Searfoss is nevertheless still deeply interested in young people’s athletics—especially as pursued in his own family. In fact, says the Flemington resident, watching his youngsters play serves as his hobby. His older son, 17, a senior at Hunterdon Central High School, plays lacrosse; a daughter, 14, is a varsity freshman cheerleader at the same school; his younger son, 12, plays lacrosse, football and baseball.
Searfoss is impressed with Watchung Hills’ expanded facilities and its educational impact on the community, but, above all, with the gracious welcome that was extended to him as a new administrator.
