NWS TECH

Staten Island Tech Principal Mark Erlenwein with a portion of his "Star Wars" display in his office. (Photo courtesy Mark Erlenwein)

Some of the "Star Wars" collection that greets visitors when they enter the office of Staten Island Tech Principal Mark Erlenwein. (Photo courtesy of Mark Erlenwein)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Watch out "Star Wars" fans, Darth Vader's been sent to the principal's office.

If you check into Principal Mark Erlenwein's office at Staten Island Technical High School, you'll come across a near-life-size figure of the once-heroic Jedi Knight, along with Jedi-master Yoda, robot R2-D2, and other "Star Wars" movie gear the educator has collected.

Erlenwein says he's only trying to lighten up after nearly two-thirds of his 1,200 students who responded to a recent school survey said they were stressed-out over academics.

"I wanted to create a student-friendly environment, to lighten up the old stereotype of dread going to the principal's office," he said. "It's all about setting the tone."

"So far it's worked. At the least it's been a great ice-breaker."

The New Dorp school, which has a rigorous academic course-load, has consistently ranked among the top 100 schools in the country, and among the top 10 schools in New York State, in the prestigious U.S. News and World Report rankings. It was also ranked among the nation's top high schools for science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM).

Tech is one of nine special admission high schools in the city; students are admitted based on their score on the Specialized High School Admissions Test given each fall. More than 95 percent of its students go on to take multiple Advanced Placement (AP) classes, and more than 98 percent of its students go on to prestigious colleges and universities.

Still, Erlenwein believes that "kids need to be kids" and that the four years of high school should be more than an academic grind.

In fact, in his annual commencement speech, he reminds the graduating class that one of the secrets to success is never to let go of being a kid at heart and mind.

He practices what he preaches.

Erlenwein said he's a "life-long" "Star Wars" fan. Although he was too young for the original "Star Wars", Erlenwein, who is 41, said he remembers seeing "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" while he was growing up in Brooklyn.

He said he recently found a childhood stash of "Star Wars" figures that he shared with his 9-year-old son, and savored the boy's excitement as they poured through them together.

The two watched "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" together when it opened in December, along with Tech students, faculty, staff and their families. As part of a fundraiser for Tech's award-winning robotics team, the school bought out tickets to one of the opening-day screenings.

It was the fundraiser that inspired Erlenwein to display some of his collection.

"I saw first-hand how Star Wars is the perfect pop-culture franchise that crosses generations, that manages to be relevant to today's young people," he said.

Erlenwein is a 1992 graduate of Tech, who came back as a chemistry teacher in 1998, and went on to be appointed the 27-year-old school's first alumni principal in 2013.

He initiated his "Pizza With the Principal" lunches, in which he sits down to lunch with small groups of students to talk and listen to what they have to say.

He's also implemented other stress-busting changes at Tech since then, including bringing in non-profit organizations to provide services such as yoga and meditation; adding a digital "hotline" where students can anonymously confide stress-related incidents, and making changes in administrative policies, such as test and report card dates, and the school calendar.