With only one week left of summer vacation, Rick Toso was hired on as the interim principal for the 2013-2014 school year. Having retired for a third time, Toso just cant seem to get enough of working with students. The Crier
staff sat down with Toso for a question and answer interview.
Q: What has your career been like throughout the years?
A: After Concordia Moorhead, I took my first teaching job in Renville Minnesota. After six years in the position, I moved to Buffalo where there was a lot more to offer; I could actually go to a restaurant every day of the week. I coached just about everything there was, and then someone came to me and said ‘Rick you’re all these leadership positions, have you ever thought about being a principal?’.
Q: And just like that you became a principal?
A: Well, then I went to principal school. So then after I finished my schooling, a position opened up and I ended up being an assistant principal. I loved what I was doing; I thought wow, I love this, I really wish I could do this.
Q: How are you going to approach your job as our principal this year?
A: I call my leadership style a warm demander. Being a warm demander; once you connect with a student you can stretch, and now you can start expecting, ‘work hard; get this work done’.

Q: What are your goals for the high school this year?
A: I’ve always felt, be kind. When I was at the elementary school the last two years my mantra was ‘work hard, be nice’. I’ve changed that for you older people to ‘make good decisions, work hard be kind’. You, the students, are at an age where choices you make everyday will impact your life, and sadly some of them are very difficult decisions. We give you the opportunities to be great, but you have to do the work, so work hard.

As years passed, Mr. Toso worked his way up within the Buffalo school district until he finally retired a few years back. Since then, Mr. Toso has come out of retirement three times, most recently un-retiring to be the interim principal here