Sewanhaka welcomes Champ to district

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Cheryl Champ might be new to Long Island and the Sewanhaka Central High School Disrtict, but she is no stranger to education. Champ, who stepped into the role of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in July has been in education for 19 years. She is excited about her new role and said the district has welcomed her with open arms.

Before joining Sewanhaka, Champ worked as a principal in the Lakeland School District in northern Westchester. Before stepping into administrative roles, she worked as a music teacher in various schools in South Carolina and North Carolina. The move to assistant superintendent is an exciting one Champ said because she will have the opportunity to work with students and teachers alike on a large scale.

Though she is still getting her feet wet, Champ said she plans to be actively involved with the district’s five schools. Much of what she learned as a teacher and a principal will translate well to her new role Champ said. “I think no matter what level of administration you’re at you need to remember that you’re still a teacher at heart,” she said. “A lot of the same principles still apply.”

Some of the most important principles included good communication, time efficiency and equipping people to do the tasks set out for them Champ said. With mandates from New York State like the core curriculum and statewide testing, Champ said she realizes both teachers and students are dealing with added pressures. Even with those mandates, Champ said both she and the district are committed to giving students a well-rounded education.

With a background in music education, she said she understands the importance of things like the arts as well as extracurricular activities like athletics and clubs. “Those are the things that round out the academic program,” she said. “Having one without the other isn’t really rounding out the whole child.”

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