Lazar Principal Aims to Improve World Language Program

• Name: Sharon Carr officially became the principal of on March 15 of this year. The veteran administrator began her Montville Township career ten years ago, at the high school, as a world language supervisor. She then moved into an assistant principal position at Lazar. In January, when Principal John Gallucci retired, Carr became acting principal.
• Married: Carr will be married 36 years in June. “I was 8 when I got married,” she joked. She has two grown children, two grandchildren, “Madeline, who is 2, and Patrick, who is 8 months, and two grand dogs.”
• Career:  Before coming to Montville, Carr, a graduate of Lafayette College, spent 15 years teaching Spanish, and, at times, French.“My mother tells me I was born a teacher,” Carr said. “I lined my teddy bears up and I played school. I lined dolls up and I played school. I lined neighborhood children up and I played school." In middle school and high school she taught gymnastics and volunteered as a playground aide. Carr earned her administration and supervisor certifications at Rutgers. “I love learning,” she added. “I have a masters and I probably have 60 or 70 credits beyond that masters, and I probably will take another course as soon as things settle down.”
• Lives:  Carr commutes each day from Succasunna to Montville. “At 6:00 a.m. it takes me 28 to 30 minutes. At 6:30 it takes me over an hour,” Carr explained. Before becoming a supervisor, Carr taught in the Succasunna school district where her children attended school.
• Goals: As the former supervisor, world languages are a priority to Carr. Next year Carr hopes “to take some of the programs we have and make them better, make them more enriching.” Specifically, she is dedicated to improving the world language program. “Languages are fun. Languages are exciting,” said Carr. “In our world today, in a global economy, having knowledge of a second or third language is a perk….When you can put on a resume that you have some kind of ability to communicate with someone else, no matter who that might be, it has to be a plus.” To that end, sixth graders will be exposed to both Spanish and Italian, and seventh graders will take French, and Chinese. The intensive two-year introduction to languages is designed to “get our kids really, really, ready and prepared to meet the high school rigors, specifically in the world language area.” In addition Carr is working on integrating more areas of learning into the world language program so that students do not miss out on music, computers or other subject areas.  Carr’s goal is to help students become “well rounded and be able to compete academically.”
• Favorite Thing about Montville: “It’s welcoming. It’s pretty,” said Carr. “It’s a nice area. It’s an area that’s proud of their community, of their schools. It’s a good place to be.”
• Something you would like to see Changed: “If you could move it about 15 miles west,” said the Succasunna resident.  “That would be perfect.”
• Hobbies:  Traveling, crocheting baby blankets and reading are among Carr’s hobbies. She and her husband are also discussing “taking up kayaking. But, “now with grandchildren,” added Carr, “that is my number one hobby, priority, life, everything.”
• Philosophy: “Live everyday and find the best in everything that you do for that day,” Carr said. “There’s so much good going on. There are so many fun things going on…Just make everyday a good one.”

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