By Laura Lane
Cirello said that he will especially miss the "camaraderie and spirit involved in events like homecoming" and "seeing the students grow from scared ninth-graders to sometimes overconfident seniors."
When Cirello came to Clarke in 1979, he began as a teacher and chairman of the school's business education department. In 1982 he was promoted to the East Meadow School District's administrative office, where he served as director of technology and career education.
In 1992, Cirello became assistant principal at Clarke Middle School. By the time he took on the position of principal in 1993, he had the experience to ensure a successful tenure.
"Having a teaching background is essential for the job of principal," Cirello said. "Even though it's in your distant past, you never forget the day-to-day life of the classroom teacher. It helps you maintain a focus of how important the teacher is."
As building administrator, Cirello is proud of the improvements and changes he has made at the school for the benefit of the students. "I'm most proud of the research program that was developed over my years here, and the Intel finalists we've begun to have regularly for the last four years," he said. "Also, the success and implementation of our law program. We developed a mock trial team that won the state championship, two Nassau championships and a Long Island championship."
Cirello is also proud of the growth of the Advanced Placement program at Clarke. He said that 12 years ago fewer A.P. classes were offered, and fewer students participated. "Each year we increased that number of kids involved and offered more classes," he said. "We found out that the kids weren't taking [A.P.] before because they were unaware that the classes existed. It's up to each high school as to how many A.P. courses are offered. We increased ours at Clarke."
Although Cirello is retiring, he plans to continue teaching, as an adjunct professor at C. W. Post. He believes that Clarke's next principal, Timothy Voels, will be successful. "My advice to Tim,² Cirello said, ³would be to enjoy the experience and follow your gut."
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