Schools
New Principal Begins Work at Hightstown High School
Dennis Vinson officially began as principal of Hightstown High School on July 1.
Written by: Megan Malloy
Dennis Vinson has kicked off his first month as the new Hightstown High School principal, meeting with students, teachers, administrators, parents, and sports teams alike.
Vinson was approved to replace former principal Alix Arvizu in May and began working at Hightstown High on July 1 after spending a few days transitioning with Arvizu.
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“I looked at it as an opportunity to move home to Mercer County,” said Vinson, who resides in West Windsor.
Vinson is the son of two teachers, whom he credits with inspiring him to pursue a career in education. His high school coaches were also integral in Vinson’s career path and, after graduating, he attended Rider University on a track and field scholarship.
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Vinson then began coaching cross-country at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School and went on to serve as a teacher and assistant athletic director. He eventually got into administrative work as an assistant principal at Hopewell Valley Regional High School, and finally as principal of Pennsauken High School.
Coming to Hightstown is in many ways a homecoming for Vinson. “I’ve heard such great things about Hightstown, so when the opportunity came up, I jumped at it,” he said.
School may be out, but campus is abuzz with two major construction projects: a new turf field and a multi-purpose room that will also serve as a cafeteria due to increased enrollment. Vinson is encouraged by the increase in students and sees Hightstown High School’s diversity as one of its strongest assets.
“The more diverse a school you have, the better,” he said. “The different experiences benefit the students and the staff, and I’m really excited about that.”
A passion for helping children succeed is the most important quality Vinson said he looks for in a teacher, as well as creativity and innovation when it comes to teaching a curriculum.
The new principal hopes to improve transparency and communication between the administration and the rest of the school, and has already set up a Twitter handle (@HHS_Vinson) to connect more efficiently with the public. In addition, Vinson hopes to help the administration take care of the often complicated school policies and procedures, and clear the way for teachers to focus on individual connections with students.“Every time a kid has that relationship with a teacher, the benefits are exponentially greater,” he said. “The number one challenge, no matter where you go, is maintaining the rigor in the instruction and raising expectations. Not that they’re not high already, but you need to take a good school and make it great.”
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