In light of Assistant Principal Dietz announcing his retirement after the 2020-21 school year, a search for his replacement ensued. After approximately two weeks of the position being open for applications, the interview process began. According to Principal Caleb Smith when hiring a new staff member, there are many things that need to be considered.

“When hiring we are looking for many different things but most important on my list is someone that can help our students be successful,” Smith said. “I want people on our team that are going to relate to our students, build strong relationships, and provide them support to be successful at NHS and beyond.”

Assistant Principal is not an easy job, which is why the process of finding a new one is so intricate. There are many variables that go into the position that not everyone may be able to handle.

“The assistant principal position has a ton of duties and every day is different,” Smith said. “You may have x, y and z planned for the day but then something comes up that takes up your entire day.”

After much deliberation, the conclusion was made that former Northridge Elementary School Principal Tiffany Stephey best met the aforementioned requirements. 

“I enjoy helping others grow and reaching their fullest potential,” Stephey said. “I have the opportunity and privilege of making an impact in the lives of all of the students that I work with–give students the tools and knowledge to form their own opinions, make contributions, and influence society in the future.”

Stephey has lived in Newton for almost her entire life, and wanted to continue her career in her hometown. 

“It is a wonderful community and when I moved away for a few years, I knew that I would want to return at some point to make an impact on the students in the community that I grew up in,” Stephey said. 

Before accepting the position at Newton High School, Stephey worked at Northridge Elementary School for two years. She taught primarily grades three through five, but also coached sports at a higher level. 

“I enjoy working with students of all ages,” Stephey said. “While my teaching career has mostly been at the elementary level, I have coached older students in basketball and track.”

Stephey has highly enjoyed working with younger students, but her real passion is to work with secondary students, which she now has the opportunity to do at NHS. 

“While I absolutely love working with younger students, I have always had an end goal of working at the secondary level,” Stephey said. “This opportunity presented itself at the right time. I enjoy watching students compete and perform, so I am really excited about attending high school events. I also have a daughter who will be a freshman next fall, so I am looking forward to being in the same building as she is.”