As the school prepares to say goodbye to the beloved Dr. Powell, the community works hard to carry on his values.

If a great leader decides to leave a community, will the community be able uphold the values that are taught by this leader?

As the 2015-2016 school year ended, the community of de Toledo High School received the news of Dr. Powell’s impending departure. The sudden news of his retirement and the ongoing search for a new head of school have created mixed emotions about the upcoming school years.

Throughout his fifteen-year journey with the school, Dr. Powell has instilled values such as AP kindness and A+ human beings, and has emphasized the importance of a circle of friends.

Though Dr. Powell will be leaving, the values and morals he has worked so hard to exemplify for the school will remain with the community.

Many of the founding faculty members who have built the very basis of the school with Dr. Powell are affected by his decision to retire. Although the founders are saddened to hear his announcement, they are truly pleased to see Dr. Powell leave on such a high note.

Rabbi Vorspan, Rabbi-in-Residence and one of de Toledo’s founding members, said “I will definitely struggle on without him. Every time I’ve seen Dr. Powell, everyday for fifteen years, he has been so engrossed and so involved in what he was doing. I knew that eventually he was going to get tired and get ready to do something else.”

Teachers like Rabbi Vorspan are saddened by the news and feel as though they are losing a crucial part of the community.

Rabbi Vorspan also reflected on how the school will continue: “The test of a good visionary is if it can be followed, and I think that in Dr. Powell’s case, it can. He’s been able to bring a quality to the school that is kindness, and that kindness has permeated everything that we do here.”

dTHS brings a quality to teenagers that no other school can truly instill in young adults. Students and faculty leave the school with a new outlook on how to treat anyone they meet with respect and open arms.

As the school moves through this major transition, dTHS will always feel the presence of Dr. Powell through his values and beliefs that have been taught throughout his fifteen years with the school. Though students, faculty, parents, and community members will miss him, all will continue to grow and learn from the unbelievable leadership skills and passion that Dr. Powell has modeled for dTHS since its creation.