Three of the four high schools in the Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD) have just been appointed new principals. 

    In Lafayette, Colin Malcolm will be taking the lead at Acalanes High School, moving up from associate principal. In Moraga, associate principal Robyn Harrison also was promoted to principal of Campolindo High School, and in Orinda William Schloss, who goes by Bill, takes the helm at Miramonte High School, while former principal Ben Campopiano has move to the Orinda Union School District to serve in the administration.

    The district will now move to appoint new associate principals at both Campolindo and Acalanes. Las Lomas Principal Brian Sullivan, who moved from Donald Rheem Elementary School in Moraga last year, will continue to serve at the Walnut Creek high school, which is part of AUHSD.
 
    Bill Schloss is new to the district, coming to Orinda from Cupertino High School in the Fremont Union High School District.  Before that, Schloss served for many years in Southern California as a longstanding employee, teacher, teacher leader and then principal in the Whittier Union High School District. 

    Appearing before the AUHSD Board on June 3, Schloss said that he was happy and excited to be bringing his experience to the district.  He praised the foundation laid by former principal Ben Campopiano. “Ben’s work has really laid a fabulous foundation for student support and success at the school,” Schloss said, “and I’m just excited to keep the ship moving forward.” He added that he looks forward to working collaboratively with the other principals.

    Robyn Harrison, who moves up to the lead role at Campolindo, echoed the concept that the principals work collaboratively. She added that it is a great honor to be a female in the capacity of high school principal. “I’m hoping that our female students are able to see that we aren’t limited and that we have opportunities,” she told The Lamorinda Weekly in an interview, adding that she wants to be both a role model and a strong advocate for women.
  
    Harrison praised the staff at Campolindo, as well as the parents, who she noted have been “beyond kind and supportive.” The staff, Harrison said, “are amazing, caring, and they really take education seriously.”  Overall, she concluded, the goal is to expose students to a rigorous curriculum and also to have them grow as good people.

    Harrison has five children, ranging in age from 27 years old to just turning 4. One of her children is a student at Campo. The new principal noted that three years ago she started at Campolindo along with the rising graduating class, which includes her daughter. “This is a very special class to me because we all started together,” she noted. Harrison says that she is already planning her commencement speech.  

    One new trend that Harrison has observed lately is the hacky sack craze. Popular in the 1970s, hacky sack is seeing a revival. “It’s awesome to see,” Harrison explained. “Phones aren’t in hands, and the kids are invested, focused, and displaying a competitive spirit.”

    Colin Malcolm was a biology teacher before serving as a house principal at James Logan High School in the New Haven Unified High School District.  Having spent a year as the associate principal of Acalanes High School, Malcolm told the board that he is “very excited to continue my journey at Acalanes and continue to move the school in the right direction.”