South’s Sophomore House Principal, Mr. Piselli, is just as new as the sophomores themselves at CB South this year. Here are some interesting facts about the man who leads the sophomore class:

1. Mr. Piselli went to Archbishop Wood High School where he took honors classes, played sports, and participated in after school activities. “I tried to be as well-rounded as possible,” he said.
2. During his senior year of high school, Mr. Piselli was part of a leadership committee, which was his first experience in educational leadership and influenced him to go to college for education.
3. While attending Archbishop Wood, he got in a car accident, “a nice little fender bender,” in front of the school entrance. He said, “Let that be a lesson to all teen drivers.”
4. House Principal Piselli attended Penn State University where he majored in English and Secondary Education.
5. His family consists of his wife Kathleen and their two sons—three-year-old Joey and three-month-old Stephen.
6. His favorite part of the week is Saturday morning, when he can make a big breakfast and be with his family.
7. Before coming to South, Mr. Piselli was an 11^th grade English teacher and a football coach.
8. Piselli was the assistant principal at his former high school, Twin Valley High.
9. Since Mr. Piselli lives in this area, he would frequently drive by South and notice the huge school, which he said he knew had to be full of life.
10. Mr. Piselli said, “I am very excited to make an impact where I live and to get to know the people who represent the Central Bucks School District and, of course, the kids.”

The first day of school can be exciting and nerve-wracking, especially for 600 sophomores who are unfamiliar with the ways of high school. Sophomore House Principal Mr. Piselli is familiar with high school life, but he was just as overwhelmed on his first day of South as most sophomores.

Mr. Piselli’s first day was filled with assemblies and trying to help as many confused sophomores as he could. “I was thrilled for … the [upcoming] school year,” Mr. Piselli said. “I was here over the summer, but I wanted to see [South] with everyone here.”

Now that the school year is well underway, sophomores should be aware that Mr. Piselli’s office is located in the Sophomore House Office on the third floor. As long as he is in his office, Mr. Piselli said he will always help any student. He described his job as being “a visible, responsive support system for students and staff.”

Sophomores should feel comfortable when talking to Mr. Piselli. Mikaila Harper, a sophomore at South, described him as an “approachable and kindhearted man.”  She added, “Mr. Piselli is very understanding and relatable.”

According to Mr. Piselli, sophomores should come to him for leadership because he’ll make sure to provide the best answer possible. If he personally can’t, then he will do his best to direct the student to the appropriate professional in the school who can.

Mr. Piselli said he enjoys the fact that his job allows him to talk to students about their day because sometimes his day can get monotonous. “The average day of a high school kid is pretty exciting even though they might not see it that way,” he said. “As working adults we are envious of it.”

Mr. Piselli is excited to see the sophomore class grow together and the progress made between September and June. “You see everyone come in all wide-eyed, and even maybe intimidated, but by the end of the year a large group of students will be proud and confident in where they are heading.”

He personally hopes he can get everyone’s first and last names right. “It’s foolish of me to say that I will meet every student by a timeline,” he said, “but I want to get to know every student in the class for something they feel proud of because that is important.”

High school is a new experience for sophomores. Mr. Piselli’s best advice for them? “Don’t be afraid to fail; understand in doing so, you learn.”

Mr. Piselli wants the class of 2017 to develop an identity. He mentioned that it is one thing to be remembered after graduation, but it is even more valuable for students to realize how to develop an identity. Personal identity will carry on in life after high school.

Even though graduation is three years away for sophomores, Mr. Piselli hopes that students feel prepared and confident heading into this new chapter of their lives. To help the transition, Mr. Piselli encourages students to expose themselves to as many new experiences as they can during their time at South.

Mr. Piselli gave this final comment about the students at South: “High school kids are high school kids, but our kids are pretty special.”