On Feb. 24, Principal Antonio DiBari joined the Hayfield Secondary School community. After working at Westfield, he was offered the position of becoming the new principal at Hayfield, he excitedly took up the opportunity. However, this isn’t DiBari’s first experience with Hayfield. In the past, he has worked for Hayfield’s Summer School and ESY.  His eagerness towards accepting the principal position stemmed from Hayfield’s tight knit community.

“The thing that always stands out to me is how proud people are to be a part of Hayfield,” DiBari said. “We have staff that graduated from here and have come back, some that have been here for over 30 years, and others who have brought their spouses. We have students who proudly represent Hayfield in and out of the building, and a community who is very supportive and invested in the school. I’m a big fan of family and community, and I feel that when I walk into Hayfield.”

Communication and creating strong relationships with staff and students is what sets DiBari apart from the rest. He makes the community of Hayfield a priority, and that started with him joining it. His main goal is to further build upon the healthy school culture to make Hayfield the best it can be for everyone.

“We have to focus on building strong relationships with each other and making sure that we are all committed to the same things. Those things must be decided on as a school, to include staff, students, and community members,” DiBari said. “We also have to be very clear about what the expectations are once we’ve decided on what’s important, so that everybody knows the standard. When we commit and invest as a team and family, we can accomplish incredible things.” 

As DiBari first joined the Hayfield community, he immediately began to make these connections through personal interactions with both students and staff. His main goal is not to automatically switch the school’s environment, but to observe and learn what staff and students have to say.

“I am very collaborative across students, staff, and community, and I take input and feedback seriously. You will always see me interacting with people, pulling groups together, and getting input to see how we’re doing and what we could be doing better,” DiBari said. “This is not my school, this is OUR school, and that’s how we’ll operate. I need everybody’s input to continue to make it a great place.”

Through his prioritization of communication and strong relationships, DiBari has been able to get to know the Hayfield community and has learned more than he ever would have without it. Many may have heard him on the morning announcements with his “joke of the day” or in their lunches where he makes an effort to get to know each and every student and staff member. 

“I’ve been lucky to have a lot of conversations with people these first couple of weeks. I’ve learned a lot about how invested people are in the school, and also some things that people would like to see change…,” DiBari said. “Mostly, people tell me how important it is to be able to voice their opinions and celebrate the great things happening here. Everybody is working very hard and they like being recognized for it.”

During his many interactions, he’s seen the love people have for Hayfield. He believes one of the biggest strengths at Hayfield is the tight knit community of students and staff that care deeply for one another. His hope is to further these connections and to honor Hayfield’s great history.

For now, Principal DiBari is learning more about Hayfield, getting to know the community and learning of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. While he still has much to learn, he already cares deeply for the staff and students that make up this community.

“There are still so many people to meet and so much to learn, and I plan on continuing to try and get to as much as possible,” DiBari said. “Go Hawks!”