'I am sad to leave because I loved East Brunswick,' says retiring EBHS principal

EAST BRUNSWICK - In March, East Brunswick High School will hear its last "Go Bears!" cheer from Principal Michael Vinella, who is retiring from the school district after nearly 30 years.

The Board of Education has accepted Vinella's early retirement effective March 1, Superintendent of Schools Victor Valeski said.

"The search for our new high school principal will begin immediately," Valeski said. "East Brunswick Public Schools is appreciative of Dr. Vinella’s work and his contributions to the high school and district. We wish him well in his future endeavors."  

Vinella is not resting on his laurels. He has accepted a position with the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA) as director of membership services. His new job begins in March.

"I am sad to leave because I loved East Brunswick," said Vinella, a Hunterdon County resident. "The high school is just an amazing place with amazing people. But these opportunities don't come along often. And I have a lot of respect for the people in NJPSA and what they do. It's going to provide me with an opportunity. In the district, I was able to touch many people here and maybe this opportunity will enable me to touch principals and supervisors from all over the state − to be a support for them."

A past president of the NJPSA, Vinella was the 2020 NJPSA/FEA Visionary Principal of the Year for secondary schools. That year, he also was named the 2020 National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) New Jersey Principal of the Year.

With the NJPSA, Vinella also held the posts of field representative, Board of Directors member, and has been a mentor for more than six years.

Principal at the high school since August 2012, Vinella rose through the ranks in the district. He first came to the township in 1995 as a ninth-grade social studies teacher at Churchill Junior High School before moving to the high school in 2000. At the Junior High, Vinella also coached football and wrestling.

After three years of teaching at the high school, Vinella became assistant principal in 2003.

In 2006, Vinella took on the district post of K-12 supervisor of staff development, testing and grants for a year and then K-12 curriculum supervisor of social studies/media in 2007. He remained curriculum supervisor for five years.

More: The future of East Brunswick High School may cost up to $480 million: superintendent

For Vinella, it was never about the "job," but about the students.

"To watch the kids grow and excel in the classroom, on the athletic field or in the arts − that's what it always was about," Vinella said. "And I'm proud that I worked for a bunch of fantastic teachers and administrators that always brought it every day for the kids and did what was best for the kids. That's what I'm most proud about − because I think the best thing is all the kids that graduated from there that went on and did great things. That's what makes our job so special."

Vinella believes under his tenure, he and his staff were able to "live the mission" − "excellence in academic, athletics and the arts."

"I think we truly did." Vinella said. "I wouldn't have gotten those accolades if it wasn't for the fantastic staff, the teachers, the support staff, the others administrators. That was based on the collective effort of everybody."

Since September, Vinella has also been the NASSP state coordinator and has been an NJSIAA executive committee member since June.

A graduate of Rutgers University, Kean University and Walden University, Vinella has been an adjunct professor at both Walden University and Rider University.

Though he believes the district and his staff were caught "off guard" by the news of his early retirement, Vinella has told the district's Central Office that he is willing to do whatever he can to help for a smooth and successful transition.

"Before March and even after March, I'm going to be able to work with whoever's there to help them so they can continue what they're doing for the kids," Vinella said. "I wasn't expected something like this, but this opportunity came along. And it wasn't an easy decision. But, you know, my wife and I made the decision to do it, maybe retire a little bit younger than I originally thought, but I think it caught people off guard to say the least."

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: East Brunswick High School Principal Michael Vinella to retire