Meet the Principal

Experienced and Respectable, Mandalay's New Principal

By Katie Enochs

“She can take this school to another level,” said Jonathan Lopez, an 8th grader who served on the interviewing committee for Mandalay’s new principal. The committee consisted of a group of 8th graders and teachers. They interviewed each candidate, then came together and voted on their favorites. The results yielded Andrea Sabadosh.

Sabadosh’s career has consisted of teaching science at Stanley Lake for 15 years, and then 7 years as an Assistant Principal at Alameda International Jr/Sr. High. Now, she’s been hired to work here at Mandalay. During the interviews, she was kind, funny and impressive. Of all the candidates, Lopez said, she was the obvious choice.

Tiffany Losasso, the school’s librarian, was also on the committee. She explained that she voted on Sabadosh for many different reasons, the main one being her inspiring ideas for the school. 

“She’ll bring us together as a community and support the students, staff and families in our area,” Losasso said. 

Sabodash loves the idea of working at Mandalay. She said that she loves the environment and the people. When asked about the changes she wants to make, she simply replied, “I would like to know what students and staff want to be changed.” 

Brianna Feely, another 8th grader on the interviewing committee has been at Mandalay since 6th grade and can see the good that some change could do for her school. 

“She can make this school 10 times better,” Feely said. 

Mandalay opened in 1984. Since then, the school has had 9 principals. 4 of which were female. Sabadosh will be on the 5th. 

John Dockerty has worked as a Spanish teacher since the school opened. He’s gotten to work with each principal and see how they’ve changed the school. 

“I think our best leadership has been female,” he said. From Stevenson to Olive to Quanbeck, the school has thrived under female leadership. Dockerty hopes that Sabadosh will be added to that list. 

“She can improve the worst, and improve the better. She can make this school 10 times better” Lopez said.

The Vice Principal of Mandalay Middle School

By Loralie Sharit

Back in 1997, Carrie Ott was an 8th-grade Math teacher at Mandalay. Eight years later, she’s returning as the assistant principal.

“Mandalay is where I started my career and when I learned that the Assistant Principal position was going to be available, I knew it was an opportunity I could not pass up.  I love Mandalay and I am super excited to be back!” said Ott.

After leaving, Ott went to a connecting high school, Standley Lake, becoming the dean of students for 18 years. A loving mother of two and a former Algebra teacher knows how to help kids through hard times in their lives. Ott was not the only person who was interviewed by Mandalay’s lovely interview committee. 8th graders and teachers took time out of their busy schedules to make sure that Mandalay would be left with the perfect vice principal. 

“I liked that she was from this community,” said Cameron Gelak, the Band and Orchestra teacher. “She started here at Mandalay and she wanted to come back home here at Mandalay.”

Ott, starting as a softball coach, knew to bring that same energy into her math teaching, by knowing how to bring in discipline without yelling or scaring the wits out of a kid. She also has a connection with some of the older staff that she taught with. Not only is she familiar with how things are done and how teachers teach, but she also knows the new staff coming in. Ott is extremely focused on keeping the IB programs and is extremely supportive of everything the teacher(s) might need to keep the class and learning structure. 

“I want to serve the students and teachers, and I want to help MYP come up and get back on its feet,” said Ott.

Multiple other kids have also said that they like her from what they have seen and can't wait for students in the future to have such a great new Vice Principal. Both Principal Schalk and Vice Principal Rodregez approve of Ott, saying that her resume and relation to Mandalay are what's going to make Ott home and that her relation to Mandalay is extremely comforting to know.