Along with a new administrative office complex, there is a new principal occupying that space, Patrick McNamara. With a formal principal outfit on, he still sticks to his true, funny, laid-back self, knowing how to lighten the environment while also being professional.  The green sneakers give it away.

Mr. McNamara has always loved working with kids and he knew that he had something else to give to the schools other than teaching in a classroom. He has great respect for all that teachers do, but he felt he had other leadership capabilities too and wanted to use them for the better of the entire school. “You either A, feel like you can do more, or B, feel like you need to change, and for me it was I feel like I have more to give to the schools in general.” Mr. McNamara was a principal at Mott Road and served as an assistant principal at the high school before that. 

Many factors went into play with the transition from Mott Road Elementary to Fayetteville Manlius High School principal. He loved being at Mott Road because it is his neighborhood school and his son went there when he was a principal. He was highly encouraged to return to the high school because of the connections he already had in the building, because of his knowledge of the school and how he could make even more of a difference in the school district.  He realized it was the right move for him to make. 

Mr. McNamara also feels that this building needed someone to step up and help.  There has been a lot of personal loss in the building, and he wanted to work with all the teachers and students dealing with these losses. He feels he can make a difference in assisting everyone and supporting them. When he was previously here as an assistant principal, he developed many connections with the teachers and some students who are seniors now. He thinks it is the best decision he has made and is so glad to be back here. 

Mr. McNamara has a daughter here at the high school.  Ava is a freshman and they both try to establish boundaries to have the dynamic of student and principal, and not father and daughter. “When a person is a professional, and they do their job properly… it’s so important to be visible at all times, and as a parent, you only have so many opportunities to spend time with your children.  So it’s not necessarily about the boundaries, it’s what I can do for my kids, and this was just another way for me to support them, their friends, and the larger community.  But I treat her how I would treat any other student in the building,” Mr. McNamara said.

Mr. McNamara has come in at a very difficult time with all the construction that has been happening. He thinks the construction is a lot of headache. His number one concern is that everyone is safe. You will always see him in the hallways between classes because he wants to make sure everyone gets to class safely and timely. “It’s stressful enough for students to get to class in 6 minutes, and I want to make sure that everyone is getting there, and it is not the fully open school that it used to be.” In his mind, he is always staying positive because he knows once the construction is complete it is going to be amazing, so he is very optimistic.  

Planning on staying here until he retires, Mr McNamara knows that nothing is certain. “I leave my plans up to a greater power in life.  You don’t always have control over everything, but I love it here and I would love to stay here for a long time.”