Mr. Weissman at the production of his play, “The Leaf,” in 2010. Hilltop Star File Photo

Mr. Tobias Weissman came to PHS as our new principal in 2010 after the retirement of Mr. Creech. While here he set many goals for us to achieve as a school, and also standards for each student to aspire to. Well liked by students and teachers alike, he has made his mark on PHS. No one can deny the fact that Mr. Weissman has made an impact on our school.

First, in order to make the students feel as if they were important he wanted to make a physical change to the building. I remember a story he told to a group of students about the first day he arrived at PHS. The “I” was dangling from the “Passaic” sign out front. His first act as principal was to get somebody to fix the sign. Just the simple act of getting things fixed and cleaned made the students feel like they were part of something important here at school.

Mr. Weissman, not only wanted a physical change to the school, but a mental change in each student. He wanted each student to know that they were important and that what they did here at school was important too.

He authored a play titled, “The Leaf,” which was a story about his mother, a Holocaust survivor. The play was performed by the drama club and other volunteers in 2012.

Both students and teachers alike are going to miss the unique mix of passion, humor and drive that was Mr. Weissman and the PHS family had gotten used to. He took the time to smile and talk with students and was a mentor to anyone who needed help. We can all learn something from the example that Mr. Weissman set. Making PHS number one can be his greatest legacy.

By Sharief Masri