This year, Tuscarora is experiencing the loss of former principal, Mr. Berry, and former athletic director, Mr. Putterman. The 2021-2022 school year was their last year at T.H.S. Mr. Berry was relocated to Brunswick High School, and Mr. Putterman is now at Linganore High School. Both are still in their same staff positions, just at different schools. 

Switching schools can be just as difficult for teachers as it is for students. You become familiar and comfortable with your work environment, just as you do with your school environment. You leave friends that you have seen on a daily basis for years, you have to navigate a new building, and you have to work to socialize with the people in your new school. Those reasons alone can make it difficult to leave the school you have become so accustomed to. This especially applies to Berry and Putterman. Berry has been at T.H.S. for 5 years, and Putterman has been a Titan for an impressive 17 years, which means both teachers would have to build up the courage to take on a new challenge. 

When asked to compare T.H.S. to his new school, Mr. Berry remarked that “Brunswick is a much smaller school with only 800 students.” Tuscarora doubles in population, and the building itself is bigger too. Berry also later stated that he felt the loss of many things from T.H.S. “There are so many wonderful students and families at Tuscarora that I got to know over five years that I miss. I also miss so many of my colleagues who really go the extra mile for students every day. I miss the variety of activities that were always going on in the building. I miss the familiarity and the positive vibe that I felt with so many people.” However, Berry has also found some silver linings in this change of schools. He comments on how beautiful the scenery is on the drive to work each day, seeing the mountains in the distance. “Brunswick is a high school that has existed since the 1920’s and many of the parents and grandparents who have students here also attended Brunswick,” he says when reflecting on the friendly and historic community of Brunswick.

Some observations Putterman has made on the similarities between T.H.S. and his new school include the welcoming and friendliness of students at each school. “The students here have been as welcoming and as helpful as T-ro students. They continually offer to help and ask if I am coming to games,” he states. Putterman later goes on to describe how much he loves his new office. It is glass enclosed and allows him to see the entire athletic hallway, not to mention the additional storage space that he loves. Like Berry, Putterman also misses a lot about T.H.S. Specifically, the community, familiarity of the school, and the strong relationships he had with so many students, staff, and families. He reflects, “Overall, I miss all of the familiar faces – those of you that I got to know so well! Athletes staying after school and helping me set up, just popping in to visit, and making sure I was at their games. Each of you holds a special place in my heart!”

Although T.H.S. has suffered through losing such hard working, helpful, and caring teachers, the new principal and athletic director are both great additions to the Titan family. They will be missed, but never forgotten. As Putterman concluded, “Once a Titan, always a Titan!”