As they entered a new season, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (SPFHS) Winterguard found themselves without an advisor. Samantha Jasiak assumed the role beginning in the 2019-2020 season.
Jasiak is a teacher in a different district, so her process of becoming the head advisor was very different compared to those who may have assumed the position within the district.
Jasiak had the opportunity to explain her process of entering the SPF School District:
What was the process like trying to enter the district?
“The process to enter the district was very typical. When I found out about the job, I applied through AppliTrack on the district website. A couple of days later, I was contacted by Dr. Heisey to set up an interview. Dr. Heisey was very accommodating when setting up the interview.
“Since I am a teacher in a district that is quite far from Scotch Plains, he was able to meet me in the evening. After the interview, they contacted my references and once they were all checked out I was offered the position. After accepting the position I had to meet with a person in Human Resources to fill out a bunch of paperwork. Once most of the paperwork was complete, I was recommended for board approval. After becoming approved by the board, I needed to wait for a negative TB test, my background check to go through and for some paperwork to be completed from my previous employers.”
How long did it take to be approved by the board?
“I only had to wait about a week to be approved by the board. I meet with the Human Resources representative on Dec. 12 and the board meeting was Dec. 19.”
Why was it required that you were approved by the board?
“It is standard procedure that when you enter into a school district you need to be approved by the board before starting.”
What do you hope to see for the future of the guard?
“My hope is that we have fun learning and growing together. That we put together shows that are impactful and fun to perform. Also that we are able to grow the program to a more competitive state in the future.”
Overall, the process of entering the district was eased by the school faculty and staff. The Winterguard can now perform through April with a verified advisor. As Jasiak said, the group intends on having fun on the Marching Band’s off-season and sharing a meaningful performance.
This year’s program is entitled “Stand Up” featuring the song Stand Up from the motion picture Harriet. The first competition is Feb. 16 in Bridgewater and the season concludes with the friends and family open house on April 30 at SPFHS.
