It is always hard starting at a new school, but it can be even harder starting as the new principal of a school. Mr. Chuck Puga has been Smoky’s principal since spring of last year, and has come to the end of his first year at Smoky.

“It has gone fast. It has been really positive and a [good] learning experience,” Puga said.

Mr. Puga was a principal in Douglas County for nine years and came to Smoky with a different mindset on how things work. “The hardest part of adjusting to a new school is just trying to figure everything out. We have teachers trying to figure me out, we have students trying to figure me out, and I’m trying to do the same,” Puga said.

Being a principal in another school district for nine years Mr. Puga had made many friends. It can be hard making such a big move as he had. “ When you are a part of something for so long you grow fond of the people and you grow fond of the place,” Puga said. “ I do miss people I have close relationships with a lot of them.”

As for next year Mr. Puga has a plan for what is going to be happening. “Just really expand on things I have learned this year. I think this year, it was really a responsibility of mine to learn and to listen,” Puga said. “We have changed a lot of things for next year with freshman classes and things like that.”