New assistant principals come to Moorpark High, Mesa Verde
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Juan Pablo Leaños has been named assistant principal at Moorpark High School. His strong interpersonal skills and his commitment to helping all students achieve academic success were considered in the selection of Leaños, according to school officials.

"His counseling experience provides him with the tools to work collaboratively with students, staff and parents," said Teresa Williams, assistant superintendent of personnel for the Moorpark Unified School District.

Leaños will replace Mike Agnitch, who moved in June to serve as principal at Mammoth High School of Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

There are now four assistant principals at Moorpark High, each working with a different grade level.

Leaños will focus on working with freshmen to help them transition into high school. He will also be in charge of the English language learners and after-school tutoring programs for all grades.

"My goal this year is to work on the transition program and make it effective for incoming ninth-grade students to be sure they get on to 10th grade successfully," Leaños said.

Leaños also wants to develop ways to improve the academic performance of Latino students at Moorpark High. In an attempt to get these students more connected with the school, he's seeking to create more opportunities for minorities to participate in sports and extracurricular activities.

"We're now brainstorming to get kids who are socially and economically disadvantaged to be able to participate," he said.

Leaños grew up in Somis, attended high school in Camarillo and earned two master's degrees from Cal State Northridge. He worked as a counselor in the Los Angeles Unified School District before coming to Moorpark a year ago to serve as counselor at Chaparral Middle School.

Tara Thomas is the new assistant principal at Mesa Verde Middle School. She replaces Scott Mastroianni, who moved to Italy this summer.

"She seemed to fit right in. She is strong on curriculum, strict and enthusiastic," said Kelli Hays, principal at Mesa Verde.

The daughter of school board member Bruce Thomas, Tara Thomas grew up in Moorpark and graduated from Moorpark High.

She earned her teaching and administrative credentials at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

Thomas has been teaching history and physical education in the Moorpark Unified School District for 10 years. She started at Chaparral Middle School and has been a teacher at Moorpark High for the past six years. Thomas also coached track and field and cross country at the high school.

"She's been a curriculum leader at both schools and understands the needs of middle school and high school students," said Teresa Williams, assistant superintendent of personnel for the school district.

"My teaching experience and knowledge of the community will be an asset," said Thomas, adding her prior involvement with extracurricular activities, sports and chaperoning students also helped to prepare her for her new role.