By: Abby Gott — School News Editor

Mr. Chuck Fazzio is back walking the halls of Sharon High school. With the recent departure of Ms. Elizabeth Gavin, Fazzio has stepped in as the new vice-principal. At the end of last year Fazzio was planning to retire, but he has returned for the 2021-2022 school year.

Fazzio says he came back because he truly cares about the people he works with and the students. “I know what the place can be like when you are losing key leaders in the building,” said Fazzio.

Fazzio was in Sharon High School’s graduating class of 1977 and since then he says he has done just about everything here. “I was a substitute teacher. From 1990 on I was teaching and then in and out of teaching to be in the front office,” said Fazzio. 

After last year, coming back to SHS wasn’t in the cards for Fazzio. He had many other passions that he hoped to pursue. “I was sitting thinking I was going to launch a new business in my retirement, I was gonna be making cabinets, but I thought the business could wait a little bit,” Fazzio said.

He says he also has been in a folk-rock duo for 30 years and was looking to get out and play more. “When I was younger we used to play three, four times a week and I could manage to get up to go to work the next day to teach. As I get older I can’t do that anymore, but retired, we thought yeah I could sleep late that would be nice,” he added. 

Senior Rachel Glass says she was lucky to have Fazzio as a teacher for part of the year last year. “I think it’s great that Mr. Fazzio is back for another year. One thing that I will never forget is when he said that we should choose something in life that we are really passionate about because you have to get up and do it every day,” said Glass.

This is Fazzio’s eighth time as vice principal at Sharon High and he says he’s always willing to do it, but it’s not his first choice. “The farther up the administrative ladder you go, the farther removed you are from kids. You may still see them (kids) but you get to know them better in the classroom,” said Fazzio. 

Mr. Glenn Sheibler who co-taught Humanities with Fazzio says he told him that he was crazy, but he understood why he stepped in. 

English teacher Ms. Rachel Walker says she co-taught American Studies with Fazzio. “I’m grateful that he was able to step in. He’s such a dedicated Sharon High School educator that I think we’re just really lucky to have him available,” Walker said.

Fazzio says he plans to be outside before and after school directing traffic. “I do have prior experience from the first time Mr. Olson came as the interim principal which would have been 16-17 years ago. Every morning he and I went to try to move the traffic along,” said Fazzio. 

Currently, Fazzio says he is here for just this year and will help with the transition into the new school. “They should be doing a school-wide search I would think in no later than January. To find somebody that will grow with the school,” Fazzio added. 

Fazzio says he’s excited to be back in the building working with students and his colleagues. “If this does turn out to be my last year, it will be my last year and the buildings last year. Me and the building can go out together,” he said.