NORWICH – “The culture and climate at the high school has seen a change throughout the past year,” said Norwich High School Principal Thomas Knapp when asked about his first yearin charge of the building.

Knapp said the pride and satisfaction he feels about his first year is a reflection of how great the teachers, staff and students are in his building. Knapp explains roughly a year ago when Superintendent of schools Gerard O’Sullivan came to him and asked his to act as interim principal, the idea was new, and he was uncertain if he would enjoy the opportunity. Knapp has worked in the building as the athletics director for the prior year and he said O’Sullivan may have seen how the culture and climate of athletics was changed, therefore hoping Knapp would influence the rest of the high school as well.

From February to June, Knapp has acted as both interim principal and athletics director for the high school. Throughout this time, Knapp said he saw a need for motivation and organization within the building. He said he saw what the students were capable of and how fundamentally sound the school needed to be.

After getting appointed to the position full-time in June, Knapp said he established three goals he said he has carried and enforced through the course of the year. His goals include providing a safe environment, an academically sound building and an effective environment for both students and employees.