A sitdown with LMCS’s new principal

Larson to focus on community involvement

By Michelle Adams-Thomas | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – Adam Larson, Livingston Manor Central School’s former Phys. Ed. teacher and coach, will begin the 2022-23 school year as its new middle and high school principal.

Larson’s career path started when he attended Pace University on a baseball scholarship. He initially planned to study communications, but after his freshman year classes, he realized there were some he did not like. “I had to do public speaking and it scared the life out of me,” said Larson. “I was not a good public speaker.”

But he stayed with communications for another year. “My second year at Pace, I took another public speaking class,” he recalled. “I really, really worked hard on it. But the professor stopped me in the middle of my speech, and asked if I realized how many times I said the word ‘uh’? After that experience, I changed my mind on what I was going to do.” Larson decided he would go into education instead.

The change of major took him to Virginia where he attended Christopher Newport University. There he obtained his health and physical education degrees.

Connecting LMCS with the community

As principal, Larson has numerous things he’d like to achieve. One of his priorities is bringing the school and the community together. “I want to get the community more involved in the school, because the school is the center of the community,” Larson said. “There are wonderful things going on in our community right now. And if we can tie all those in with LMCS, I think that everybody will benefit.”

Larson has many plans for the new school year. The first event is a kick-off celebration at the school on Thursday, Sept. 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. Teachers will have interactive activities for parents and students along with information on their various classes. Several community organizations, including Manor Ink, will also have booths where families can get information.

Larson strongly believes that students’ lives and mental health take precedence over everything else. Vaping is a common health issue, one that Larson noted has been a growing problem for the school. The habit can affect student vapers’ health, of course, but it also is a nuisance for non-vapers. “One thing we want to do is make sure students and our staff are educated,” said Larson regarding the dangers of the practice. He is in the process of writing a grant to fund informative sessions for students and staff, and also for students’ parents.

Thoughts on the pandemic

On the topic of COVID-19, Larson said, “I think one issue that is still prevalent is the affect the pandemic had on mental and emotional health. For teachers, it’s not just their professional lives, but also their personal lives. For students, it’s not just their lives at school, but also at home.” The anxiety caused by the pandemic is a real health concern.

In school, students may also become anxious when asked to participate in class discussions. If they have trouble speaking up, Larson would urge them take the problem to their teacher. “One way that teachers assess a student’s learning is through discussion so the teacher can tell if a student understands the material being presented,” he said. “I would say that students who have concerns certainly should reach out to their teachers to discuss those issues.”

Adam Larson’s overall goal is to help his students by giving them the best educational experience possible. “It means a tremendous amount to me to represent our school,” he said. “It always has – from being a coach and a teacher, and now, obviously, a principal. LMCS is a meaningful place and I would love to live out the rest of my career working in this school.”