As I enter my retirement, I do so with pride and appreciation for being part of this amazing school community. It has been my honor and pleasure to serve the Gorham Schools as an administrator and colleague over the past 25 years. I joined the Gorham Schools as Principal of Village School for the first 22 years and then worked at the district level as Assistant Superintendent for the past three years. Before these positions, I served as a Middle School Science Teacher/Team Leader and Assistant Principal/Student Services Director at Noble Junior High School in Berwick, Maine for 11 years.
I was initially drawn to the Gorham Schools because of the innovative and creative practices that were occurring here that focused on deepening teaching and learning experiences for students, as well as for staff members. Throughout my various roles and professional studies, colleagues from Gorham often shared the incredible things happening, and then when an opportunity arose to join the Gorham Schools, I was fortunate enough to be able to do so.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Brian PorterBrian Porter
During my time in Gorham, I had the opportunity to work alongside so many dedicated colleagues to create opportunities for the students we served. What impressed me daily and what I will always cherish is the collective belief in our students and their potential in every area I see this belief shared in all of our educators and members of the larger school community – all built on the foundation of positive, lasting relationships at every level.
Additionally, it has been my honor to serve with Superintendent Heather Perry in the role of Assistant Superintendent during these past three years. I have grown as an administrator during our work together, enjoying celebrations of the exciting work throughout the district, sharing Gorham’s story broadly with others, working through many challenges, and overall, embracing this time as an endearing capstone to my career in education.
I will miss being such an integral part of the Gorham School Community. My fondest times are in watching students’ excitement while engaged with learning tasks or their involvement in extracurricular activities that help them shine and realize new possibilities for themselves. My time in Gorham has truly been a gift that not all are privileged to have. I don’t take that for granted. I
treasure it and will hold Gorham close. Looking ahead in this new journey, I am fortunate to have the gift of time through my transition into retirement – and an opportunity to step back, recalibrate a bit, and look forward to pursuing new adventures, traveling, photography, spending time with family, reconnecting with friends and staying in touch with colleagues.