Thirty-one years. That’s how long Mr. Greenwald has worked in the Blind Brook community as a teacher, Department Coordinator, Assistant Principal, now Principal, and most importantly, a mentor. Thirty-one years is a very long period of time to work at the same place, and it takes a lot of dedication to do so. Just by that alone, you can tell Mr. Greenwald loved his job and all that came with it. He specifically describes Blind Brook as a “place filled with friendships, memories, and people [he cares] deeply about” in his retirement announcement.
Mr. Greenwald started his Blind Brook journey as a social studies teacher in 1995, a time where Bill Clinton was president and Friends was only on its second season. When asked about a memory of the school at the time, he recalled how the walls weren’t even fully built! “One classroom merged into the next,” he said, exemplifying how long he has been with the district. You could actually say that he was here before the walls, which is quite the time marker.
He remained solely in his teaching position until 2012, when he also became the Department Coordinator for the same subject. This meant that his voice for his passion was amplified, and he had the opportunity to form and design the curricula he and others were teaching.
He took on both accounts for the proceeding six years, until 2018, when he became the Assistant Principal. He found plenty of success at this level, like in 2024, when Blind Brook was named a National Blue Ribbon school. He did this alongside Dr. Chirles, the principal at the time, and only 355 other schools around the whole nation received the same title. Nothing could have made that moment feel any less special, not even the sheer amount of applications and paperwork that needed to be filled out.
That same year, Mr. Greenwald became the principal of Blind Brook High School. Having a role as significant as Principal demonstrates powerful leadership, strong responsibility, and tremendous hard work. Mr. Greenwald felt most proud of this at the Class of 2025’s graduation: “That was a nice moment where I got to see students that I had seen grow up from early on in middle school all the way up to graduation, and get to speak on their behalf.” Mr. Greenwald feels that listening to what others have to say is always necessary, but it’s vital in the role as a principal. That’s just one of the many things he has learned from this experience.
Thirty-one years. That’s nothing easy to leave behind. Thirty-one years of cherishable memories, life knowledge, and constant growth will stick, however. Having any multi-year occupation will leave a lasting impact on someone, and that’s definitely the case for Mr. Greenwald. He’s learned so much about people, people’s needs, what work can amount to, and how much good can come out of advocating for people’s needs. As we say goodbye to Mr. Greenwald, it is important we recognize the impact he’s made on our district. From the iconic “Let’s do this” tagline that we hear every morning on the announcements, to the overall positive environment that has been enhanced by his presence, he’s left a mark on this school that will be hard to replace. We know he will miss the beloved Trojan mascot that makes an appearance at every game, and his tradition of visiting every classroom to wish a happy break, but this retirement is well-earned. We wish the best for him and whatever comes next!