Afternoon Edition: Mike O'Neil Hired as New Assistant Principal at SHS

With the retirement of Assistant Principal Paul Jacobs, there was a hole in the administrative staff of SHS Principal Matthew Colantonio. But, after an extensive search, Mike O'Neil has been hired for the Assistant Principal position at the high school.

O'Neil is a Stoughton resident, who is well known in the community. A long-time coach (with the Orioles) and Director for Stoughton Little League, he is also a South School parent. He is currently a Social Studies teacher at Norton High School, where he has acted as Interim Assistant Principal, when the woman who held that position went out on maternity leave.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marguerite Rizzi told About Town that, "We did a site visit last week to Mike's current school, and were most impressed at what his fellow administrators, teachers and students had to say about him and his work."

O'Neil starts Monday, March 21 in his new position.

If his baseball style is any indication of his administrative style, then the students will get a fair, well-prepared man who commands respect, who can be tough when he needs to be.   

Colantonio tells About Town: "Mike is a Stoughton man who is committed to the community, and to improving the high school. His son recently graduated from there, and his daughter is a South School student. He's an experienced, thorough and methodical administrator. He's a good third person for the team."

"I'm a mad scientist kind of guy," Colantonio continued "and it's good to have someone look at things from a different persepective. He's a seasoned veteran, tough and fair, with a hammer when needed. The other assistant principal, Hope Fernandes, is more into the instruction and curriculum side of things. She handles grants and MCAS scheduling, as well as instruction and curriculum. Michael is more a student safety and services kind of person. He's great fit, and it makes a nice balance in the office."