An abundance of fresh features ushered in by Nashoba this September combine to give us a much-delayed ‘normal’ school year — the first ‘normal’ school year in two years.  Amongst the relieving lack of COVID-19 restrictions, a new face has enlisted in Nashoba’s faculty who will further brighten the maskless smiles of the community.  Our new Assistant Principal, Mr. Pezzote, is a knowledgeable educator who encapsulates exactly what is needed to complement the superb dynamic that Nashoba already bolsters for itself. 

Being brought up in Western Massachusetts, Mr. Pezzote was always intrigued by a career path in the vast realm of education.  He was drawn to Spanish, the language, as well as the culture that encompasses the language.  He reflects, “I started studying, because I wanted to become fluent. I lived abroad in Spain, Mexico, and Argentina.  When I decided that I wanted to teach, and share that with students, was when I really knew I wanted to take that passion towards education.” After acquiring a Master’s Degree in Education at Endicott College, Mr. Pezzote was qualified to pursue his dream at Weston High School, where he worked as a Spanish instructor and held assorted leadership positions for a sturdy decade. 

As a matter of fact, it was Nashoba’s resemblances to Weston High School that captivated Mr. Pezzote: “In a lot of ways, one of the things that attracted me to this school was that it’s similar to Weston. [After spending so long in Weston], I was very familiar with the community, the expectations, the academic rigor, so I felt that there was a lot here that was relatable.”  At the end of the day, Mr. Pezzote was enthralled by Nashoba because it is “comprised of three great communities, [has] high academic achievement, and has a lot of good-hearted people.”  From day one he had a persuasive glimmering that Nashoba was an opportune docking point for his educational calling: “It was a really good fit. [From] the interview to getting to know the people here, it all clicked.”

In high school, Mr. Pezzote participated in various sports, such as football and track, and also engaged in a multitude of clubs and activities.  He chronicles “being involved in as many things as possible” as the best hallmark of his high school days.  As far as objectives for the 2022-2023 school year go, building secure relationships with colleagues and students is at the pinnacle of the new Assistant Principal’s itinerary, and, similarly to his mindset in high school, being connected with the school in as many ways as possible is how he aspires to clinch his wishes and polish the school as a whole. 

Mr. Pezzote recognizes that even the most small-scale actions, “being at the front door in the mornings to greet colleagues and students, and being in the cafeteria [during lunch periods]” bely their ostensibly meager effects. Each interaction is a spring towards augmenting the harmony of Nashoba’s community.  Thus far, Mr. Pezzote has found he enjoys frequenting the Wolves’ football games, monitoring the cafeteria during lunch periods, and, of course, joining students and teachers where the magic happens: in the classroom.  As a former teacher himself, as well as somebody who reveres the relationship component of the high school adventure, Mr. Pezzote certainly discerns how coacting in classrooms is one of an Assistant Principal’s most salient duties.  He emphasizes the importance of “getting to know who students are and being able to see some of the great activities that students do in leadership roles.”  

While Mr. Pezzote apprehends the dichotomy between his position as an Assistant Principal and earlier role as a teacher, he’s chosen to embrace the considerable latitude he has gained within his new post, noting that, contrary to his teaching job, “I don’t have my own students [anymore], per se, but now I have a whole building of students, and that’s really cool.”  Overall, Mr. Pezzote will employ his sociability and wisdom to interact with the Nashoba community in dozens of ways and shape extraordinary bonds with every member of it, in order to innovate the school and attain his honorable quest of “building a school community based off of trust and kindness.”