Across his 22 years at Morris Hills, Assistant Principal Mr. Merle has done it all.

He has supervised the departments of world language, fine arts, math, social studies, and special education; managed discipline across grade levels; oversaw building security; conducted all non-tenure evaluations; and supervised the custodial maintenance staff.

As Mr. Merle retires and enters a new era of his life, the Morris Hills community will miss him beyond question in remembrance of his lasting impact on students and staff.

Mr. Merle grew up in Denville and graduated from Morris Knolls. He attended Pennsylvania’s Muhlenberg College, with a double major in business administration and history.

During his junior year, Mr. Merle discovered his love for working with students through a summer camp. “That set off a spark in me,” he said. After earning his undergraduate degree, Mr. Merle spent an extra year at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and then he received his master’s degree at Montclair State University to begin teaching.

He spent 18 years at Morris Knolls teaching social studies. However, he felt “ready for a change,” returning to school for his second master’s degree in educational administration.

“I love teaching. I really did,” Mr. Merle said. “I still wanted to be involved in education, but I wanted to do some different things. When I saw the position open in the same district, it seemed like a nice opportunity.”

As Assistant Principal, Mr. Merle carries a load of responsibility. “It’s a tough job, what I have to do sometimes, but the people I work with, particularly Dr. Toriello, Mr. Melvin, Mr. Haraka, Mrs. Barkocy, [and] Ms. Rivera— I work with a great team, and it makes the job a whole lot easier and a lot more enjoyable.”

Along with his administrative team, Mr. Merle enjoys working with students.

“One of the things that’s really rewarding is a lot of those individuals will come back and visit me, or have visited me over the course of 20 years, and to see the way that they have grown and changed has been really rewarding,” he said. “So maybe I played a small part and helped them out. That makes you feel good.”

During his retirement, Mr. Merle plans to spend time with his family, watch his granddaughter, and coach high school football, one of his long-time passions. Morris Hills thanks Mr. Merle for the incredible legacy he leaves behind as he ventures into this next chapter.

“I took my SATs here at Hills, like so many of you guys do now. It’s amazing how some things have never changed. Forty years later, it’s still very much the same,” Mr. Merle said. “I really have enjoyed my time, both teaching and as an administrator, and I’ve been very fortunate. It’s a great district, with two very, very good high schools.”