The word “leader” follows Mrs. Sage all the way back to her small, wooden office tucked in the back of the room that many students know as the dreaded 101. She now takes a seat at her desk, and although she has only been behind this desk for about a couple of weeks, she looks and acts like she has been in this position for years.

   Mrs. Sage is not an unfamiliar face around Freedom, as she is easily recognized by her former students when she is standing out in the hallways. Before this position, she was an Honors English 9 teacher at Freedom for the past 14 years. She is the new vice principal for students with the last names Gibson through O. She is replacing Mrs. Denofa, who is now a principal at Bethlehem Catholic High School.

   Mrs. Sage, who likes to describe herself as quirky and sarcastic, is someone that likes change and is always looking for improvement. As a result, while teaching at Freedom, she went back to school and got her Master's of Education in Curriculum and Instruction degree. After that, she took more classes from 2014-2016 and ended up receiving her principal certification. When Mrs. Denofa moved over to Bethlehem Catholic, a door of opportunity opened up, allowing Mrs. Sage to make the most of it.

    “She was flawless in all of her interviews. I see someone who is an educational teacher, someone who is strong in instruction, and someone who is very bright and very well spoken,” said Mr. Michael LaPorta, principal.

  As a former teacher and instructional coach, Mrs. Sage is looking to use her experience in these fields to help her succeed as a Vice Principal. Her personality has not changed, and she wants to keep the strong relationships with the students and teachers that she has previously created. Most importantly, she wants to put education at the forefront of a place where it can often be overlooked.  

  “I want to be someone who the brings curriculum and instruction piece to an office that has been more focused on discipline. I believe that I can handle the discipline piece while also being a curricular support to teachers. I also want to focus on the whole student, and a lot of times, discipline is a piece to it but there could be going on with something at home” said Mrs. Sage, Vice Principal.

  Going forward, Mrs. Sage is looking towards to have an impactful year at Freedom, and although she will be missed as a teacher, she definitely has a positive backing behind her.

  “The English department will definitely miss her as a colleague, but we are thrilled to have her as an administrator,” said Mr. George Ziegler, teacher/English department chair.