Meet Dr. Oppenheimer, Schreiber High School’s newest interim assistant principal for the tenth grade.  Though the administration has not commented on the length of Dr. Fitzgerald’s absence, sophomores will soon be very familiar with Dr. Oppenheimer, as he will stay throughout the remainder of this quarter and possibly till the end of the term. 

This is Dr. Oppenheimer’s first year in the Port Washington School District, but he has had a long career in education spanning 22 years.  Dr.  Oppenheimer is originally from Ohio.  He received a bachelor’s degree in music education from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree from the University of Dayton in education, and earned his administrative license in Ohio.  He has been an avid trumpet player throughout his life and played in The Ohio State University marching band for five years.  His musical background led to a 16-year long career as a high school band director.  Additionally, he has worked in administration in schools in Ohio.  

“After 16 years, I was ready for a change; being a high school band director is very demanding, on different levels… I have always loved leading other people; I just felt like it was a really smart transition,” said Dr. Oppenheimer.  

Throughout his educational career, he had the opportunity to work in a variety of communities, from very rural school districts to urban schools.  Before moving to New York, he was the assistant principal and athletic director of a large middle school in the Cincinnati area with about 1,300 kids in grades 7-8. Later, he worked in a smaller elementary school in central Ohio.  During his time in New York, he has worked with the Macy’s Day Parade leading a marching band consisting of students from all over the country. In addition, he has served as an interim administrator at schools throughout Long Island.  

Though he formerly taught in Ohio, Dr. Oppenheimer believes all schools operate in a very similar manner.  The only significant difference with Schreiber is its location and student demographics.   

 “My main role here is not to change anything; it’s to come and fill Dr.  Fitzgerald’s shoes and help out in any way I can with my years of experience.  I want to make sure everything is done the way it was done. I wish to keep the train moving during the time I am here. I could be here for a month.  I could be here for the rest of the school year.  It depends on Dr. Fitzgerald,” said Dr. Oppenheimer.

Dr.  Oppenheimer has made an effort to connect with the sophomore students.  He conducts zooms with parents and kids, greets students in the hallways, and tries to be as visible as he can in our current climate.

“Dr. Oppenheimer has been nothing but good vibes since he took over as AP.  He is always in the halls smiling at Schreiber students and is really helpful on Remind with messaging us about our blue/white team schedules,” said sophomore Sean Mondschein. 

Due to the ongoing Pandemic, Dr. Oppenheimer understands the difficulties for students and families at this time.  Still, his main priority for the rest of the year is to effectively educate students while abiding by state and federal guidelines. 

“It’s been hard to give you guys the best educational experience possible because being home and being remote is very different than being in person.  It’s much more difficult to give you the best experience.  I’ve been at three high schools before I came here, and school districts are doing a phenomenal job under the circumstances. We want to move towards more students coming in the building every single day as soon as we can,” said Dr. Oppenheimer.  

Besides Dr. Oppenheimer’s educational background, he is also a big sports fan and has officiated baseball for D1 college baseball and high school baseball teams.  His favorite movies are The Shawshank Redemption and the Avengers movies. He is also a fan of the television show, The Voice.  Some of his other hobbies include playing music, watching sports games, and running to lead an active lifestyle. 

He is only here for an interim period, but sophomores should get used to a new face greeting them in the halls and sending Remind updates.