Melissa Jones, new principal in Guilford, welcomes students with video

GUILFORD – Jeff Wallowitz is looking forward to starting school on Tuesday, Sept. 3, meeting new friends and leading Melissa Jones Elementary School in the 2024-25 school year.

“Now I want you to enjoy your summer. I plan on enjoying my summer, but you know what? I can’t wait for school to start and for me to meet each and every one of you,” the 54-year-old said, looking directly into the video camera. He was wearing a “Schoolhouse Rock!” T-shirt.

One of Wallowitz’s goals as the new elementary school principal is to “build relationships with the children, get to know them better and talk to them.”

This educator, in turn, wants his students to get to know him.

To this end, Wallowitz has prepared an eight-minute video in which he introduces himself, his family, his pets, his favorite sports team, his favorite activities and his favorite books.

Viewers met the entire Wallowitz family, including Gibbs, a leopard gecko, and guinea pigs Peanut and Clover. They heard the school’s principal play drums to Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off” and toured the family garden, which includes a composting facility.

Valerie Sorrentino, 9, said her favorite part of the video was “when the Taylor Swift song came on.”

Her brother, six-year-old Preston Sorrentino, liked it when he “did the gritty,” a dance move popular among athletes that involves hopping on your heels while swinging both arms.

Preston met Wallowitz when he visited the school last year and said, “He’s cool. He likes sports.”

This is exactly the reaction Wallowitz wanted to achieve with the video.

“I just wanted the students to know who I am before I have the opportunity to learn more about them,” he said.

“It’s really an entry point for conversation. So when students walk in the front door in the morning, they already know I’m a Red Sox fan or a Miami Dolphins fan. That opens up the opportunity for dialogue and conversation,” he said.

Wallowitz will work with the students on a daily basis.

“I start my day outside the house and greet all the children as they come through the door. I usually play motivational music to help them start the day well,” he says.

“I eat lunch in the cafeteria … and am in classrooms throughout the building so they get to know me,” he said. “I thought the video would be a good way to start the process.”

After 18 years as a principal, Wallowitz says he enjoys working with elementary students because “kids that age are just incredible. They’re just so much fun,” he says.

“They have a great attitude to life,” he said.

Laura Scott is a fourth-grader at the school and said the video highlighted his ability to build relationships with the children.

“You can tell he’s found a real niche for what he does,” she said. “He’s made to work with kids. He’s very approachable and very easy-going. The kids will absolutely love him.”

Along with the video, Wallowitz sent each student a questionnaire to learn more about them.

The answers to the question “What do you wish for the world?” he said, “were simply enchanting.”

“They want world peace, they want everyone to have a home, they want to make sure all pets have a loving home,” he said. “Even the younger students can amaze and impress you with their maturity and insight.”

Parents and students alike enjoyed watching the video.

“The kids love it so much, they are so excited,” said Mandie Canestri, mother of four children at the school.

“The fact that his video touched on so many topics meant that they all found something they could relate to,” she said.

“I thought it was really cool and special that he put so much effort into doing this before the school year started,” she said.

“I don’t think you’ll find a parent who won’t rave about the video,” she said. “It was just amazing from both the parent’s perspective and the child’s perspective.”

“He really tries to connect with the kids and share with them what he likes. And then at the same time he tries to get to know every single kid in the school,” he said.

Wallowitz is ready and prepared to welcome students into the building on Tuesday, September 3rd.

“We will be a school where everyone cares about each other, where we respect each other, where we celebrate differences, where we respect differences, but also recognize that we have a lot in common and we will celebrate that too,” he said.

Contact Sarah Page Kyrcz at [email protected].