Every morning as WHS students file into school eagerly, with anticipation, hurriedly, or in any other manner, they are greeted with a friendly wave by the new assistant principal, Jennifer Knight.  

   WHS has welcomed Knight with excitement, and Knight’s enthusiasm for becoming assistant principal is equally strong. 

    “It’s pretty exciting. This is a new role for me. Prior, I was director of family and community engagement in Burlington, Massachusetts. And prior to that I was an educator in Washington state. So this is new, and that is exciting in itself,” Knight said. “I’m learning a lot of new things that I have never done in the past. In my masters program, we did a lot of studying and practicing and reading how to do all these things, but this is the first time I’ve actually done it with staff and faculty and students.”

   Teachers and faculty have already noticed Knight’s eagerness to be active within the WHS community. 

   “I think that her commitment to really be involved makes everyone feel more welcomed, so it was great to see her start strong with that. For example, I saw her at the football game on Friday, and I think she is committed to being part of the community,” band teacher Claire Nalven said. 

   Out of the various job opportunities that Knight considered, WHS stood out for its unique environment and school community. 

   “I was looking at a variety of jobs all over Massachusetts, all leadership-education related. When I came to Weston, they had a panel of faculty, staff, and I believe there was a parent representative  as well.  They had  some  really great questions that gave me insight to what the school culture was about,” Knight said. “Also, I had a student panel that was fabulous, and they had some really thoughtful questions as well during the interview process.”

   As this is Knight’s first year, familiarizing herself with the school values will be beneficial in learning more about WHS.

   “I think this year I’m going to spend a lot of time learning, observing, and understanding current practices that are already in place. That’s about how I’m going to approach it before I make any big changes,” Knight said. “Mr. Peri has some ideas because it’s also his first Covid free year. We still have Covid, but it’s not as bad as it was, and I just want to support him in whatever ideas he has.”

   Although students acknowledge that this is Knight’s first year, some believe that it is also important for Knight to help address issues that affect their daily lives at WHS.

   “The biggest thing to focus on is how to make the school a more fun place. People are already so stressed over their classes and college that I wish our school had more fun events that could make people enjoy their time in high school more,” junior Siena Flanigon said. 

   In addition to Knight’s managerial tasks she must accomplish, she further serves as a role model to the student body of WHS. 

   “I think she seems to be incredibly organized and she’s a strong communicator from what I’ve noticed so far. I think those are two life skills that she can continue to pass down to the students here,” music teacher Jonathan Eldridge said. 

   Despite Knight’s busy schedule as assistant principal, she finds time to balance it through valuable experiences outside of school. 

   “Time with my kids and my family is very important to me. Every weekend I spend time with a family member, or two, or three, or ten,” Knight said. 

   In order for students and faculty to learn about a new aspect of her life, Knight shared an interesting fact about herself. 

   “I absolutely love Disney movies and pretty much know them word by word. I think right now, we’re pretty stuck on Encanto, I also have a five year-old. Our movie nights are pretty much always Disney,” Knight said.

   As she settles into her new role, Knight also has goals for the future. 

   “My hope is that I have some great and impactful relationships here at Weston this year and in future years,” Knight said.