This year, FDR High School welcomes Ms. Imbemba, as the new Assistant Principal of Social Studies. During our interview, she revealed that she enjoys working at FDR High School very much. In particular, she loves working with the students and teachers.  She finds the environment at FDR very welcoming.

Ms. Imbemba has made a rapid transition from being a teacher / mentor to an Assistant Principal.  As a new Assistant Principal, there are many challenges.  She must manage and adapt to all the new teachers she is supervising.  In addition, the new evaluation system implemented by the DOE requires an incredible amount of time and detail to ensure that our teachers and students are getting the best support possible. However, she appreciates that the teachers at FDR are very open-minded and receptive to her feedback.

When asked about some of her goals, Ms. Imbemba revealed that she would like to continue to support the school’s yearly Multicultural Show and use the work of the students to celebrate the different social and cultural aspects of our diverse student body. In the future, she envisions a Multicultural and International Festival to take place at least once a year.  She would like clubs to be empowered to lead this effort, in order to prepare for this event.

Ms. Imbemba believes that Social Studies are essential for students, because they affect every part of our lives. She states that everything that happens individually, as part of the human experience, happens on the macro level in society.  Social Studies are about taking something that is very personal and being able to apply it to the world around us.  The curriculum and departmental focus will be on the themes that exist in Social Studies, such as change, turning points, government, our roles in society, and civic awareness.  They, and many others, are essential not only for students to be good citizens, but to be able to positively and productively interact with other people in our ever shrinking world.

One topic that came up during our interview was whether the Social Studies Department would be implementing any new courses in the near future.  Ms. Imbemba stated that she is open to the idea of expanding the department’s course offerings. As of right now, she is taking input from the teachers and the student body, whether more electives pertaining to Social Studies will be added.  If students have any great ideas, please drop by and see Ms. Imbemba in room 447 or tell your teachers!

Ms. Imbemba’s favorite quote is by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which states, “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” For Ms. Imbemba, this quote is symbolic, because it applies to all the work the teachers and administrators are aspiring to do.  The quote’s central theme keeps her focused on what’s really important- helping each other and maintaining our human interrelationships.

Ms. Imbemba is inspiring! She is very passionate about Social Studies, goal orientated, and genuinely cares about improving the department. Good luck Ms. Imbemba on your new position as the Assistant Principal of Social Studies! FDR High School is lucky to have you on board.