After 10 years as an assistant principal at Whitehall-Coplay Middle School, Angela Friebolin is ready for a new challenge as she begins the 2019-20 school year as principal. She will be working alongside assistant principals Jeffrey Krempasky, who has been with the district for 14 years, and Joshua Thatcher, who previously worked as assistant principal at Louis E. Dieruff High School in Allentown.

“I knew I wanted to be the principal here,” Friebolin said. “I knew it would happen when it was supposed to happen, and working under Mr. (Glenn) Noack was a great gift to me.

“I know the families, and I feel I’ve been very fortunate. It’s a good fit for me, and I know I’m a good fit for it,” she added.

Friebolin was drawn to the field of education after being inspired by her seventh-grade science teacher, who helped her discover a passion for the sciences.

“I always knew that I wanted to teach because I thought if somebody helped me this much and really showed me the path to what I wanted to do, I want to be able to help other people - I thought the best way to do that was teaching,” Friebolin said.

Friebolin majored in biology at Muhlenberg College and received her master’s in education from Wilkes University and her principal’s certification and superintendent’s letter of eligibility from University of Scranton.

While student teaching a seventh-grade class, Friebolin quickly realized she wanted to work with middle school students.

“They are old enough to get your jokes,” she said. “It’s an age where they’re so interesting and funny. They really need you and need positive adult role models.”

Friebolin began her career by substitute teaching in Northwestern Lehigh School District and was then given a contract to teach in the career academy program at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, where she assisted in developing science classes for the academic center and gained administrative experience.

She joined committees, planned curriculum, helped write science courses, assisted with PSSAs and earned an ESL certification, hoping to apply this experience to a role as a middle school principal.

After six years at LCTI, she was offered the assistant principal position at WCMS.

“I was amazed that a position like this opened up because it was an assistant principal in a middle school, which is what I knew I wanted,” Friebolin said.

Friebolin said one of the biggest challenges educators face is the ability to meet the needs of all children.

“Students have a lot of needs outside of school, so we’re looking at their academic needs and at their social-emotional needs,” she said. “We try to have programs in place to help kids.

“If students have needs in other areas, they can’t learn to the best of their ability unless we assist them. It’s keeping up with the needs of the kids, trying to anticipate and provide for that,” she added.

One of Friebolin’s first goals as principal is to increase access to technology by providing students with Chromebooks they can use during their classes.

“Dr. (Lorie) Hackett (Whitehall-Coplay School District superintendent) and the board have been extremely generous,” she said. “We are going to have a one-to-one Chromebook environment to start the year, so I’m very excited about that.”

Friebolin is grateful for the commitment and support she is receiving from staff members.

“Our technology department is working very hard and our counselors got our schedules in early, so we’re able to make that project happen,” she said. “I think that’s key - providing access to technology and then using it effectively within the classroom. It’s a major goal for us this year.”

Middle schoolers will pick up their Chromebooks, carry them from class to class and return them before leaving. Students will see a slight modification to their schedules, with a short homeroom being added at the end of the day so the Chromebooks can be returned.

“I feel like we’re bringing Whitehall-Coplay Middle School up to the level of education that our kids deserve here,” Friebolin said. “Having access to the Chromebooks will allow for a collaborative environment for kids to be engaging in deeper-thinking activities. When they are working through Google classroom, they can be working with kids in other classrooms.”

She noted it is possible students could even communicate and work with students in other districts.

“It removes the walls of the classroom and creates a collaborative environment,” she said.

Friebolin believes that while technology can be a positive force in educating students, it must be used responsibly. Cyberbullying exists, and social media can be used negatively.

“We do really try to help kids understand the appropriate ways to use technology and being kind to one another,” she said. “Social media can be great, and it’s the environment that they grew up in. It’s part of their social development to be able to use it responsibly.”

When she is not hard at work, Friebolin relaxes by spending time with her husband and three children. Friebolin’s mother was an English teacher, who taught her the importance of the written word, which she has spread to her children.

“Reading is number one in my house,” she said. “They have to read. They get quiet time to go and read, and we read at night. I do believe access to print is the great equalizer. You give a child access to print, and you open up the world.”

Whether she is with her own children or the middle school students, she wants parents to know she is dedicated to seeing them all learn, grow and succeed.

“I am an advocate for kids,” Friebolin stressed. “I think they can trust me to be an advocate for their children here, and I’ll work as hard as I can to provide the best educational environment for them.

“I take my job very seriously,” she said. “These are people’s children. You really have a huge responsibility when you’re a public educator, but it’s so worth it.”