Letter to Parents
Dear Parents:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of some important information related to elementary administrative assignments for the 2020-2021 school year. Although we do not provide notice of staff assignments until our budget has been formally approved, we feel it is important to provide early notice regarding the following administrator appointments as we prepare for their upcoming transition.
I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Kris Pryce, A.Ward Spaulding Assistant Principal, will be serving as the Interim Principal for McAlister Intermediate School for the 2020-2021 school year. In addition, Mrs. Melissa Todd, A. Ward Spaulding Humanities Curriculum Coach, will be assuming the role of Interim Assistant Principal for McAlister Intermediate School. Mr. Jack Ferraro will be replacing Mrs. Pryce as the Assistant Principal of A. Ward Spaulding School. Please be assured, our entire administrative team has already begun planning for these new assignments, and we will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that a smooth transition in leadership occurs.
Although interviews were not conducted in recommending these administrative assignments to the Board of Education, I strongly believe that the experiences and ideals of these individuals are well-suited for their new assignments. For over twenty-six years, Mrs. Pryce has had a distinguished career within the Suffield Public Schools after graduating from Suffield High School in 1989. She has served at many levels as a classroom teacher, curriculum leader, program coordinator and administrator. Mrs. Pryce has a Bachelor of Arts in Intermediate Elementary Education from Southern Connecticut State University, a Master of Science in Language Arts from Central Connecticut State University, a Sixth Year Certificate in Reading & Language Arts, and a Sixth Year Certificate in Educational Administration from Sacred Heart University. In terms of Mrs. Todd, she was hired in 2018 after serving for fourteen years as an elementary classroom teacher, program coordinator, and instructional coach in the East Hartford Public Schools. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Connecticut State University, a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from St. Joseph College, and her Sixth Year Certificate in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University. I would like to also take this opportunity to briefly introduce Mr. Ferraro to our A. Ward Spaulding families. For the past thirteen years Mr. Ferraro has been serving as the Assistant Principal of McAlister Intermediate School. Mr. Ferraro was also an elementary educator in the Glastonbury Public Schools for seventeen years, serving the last seven years as the Assistant Principal at Buttonball Elementary School before being hired in Suffield.
As I have shared with the Board of Education, we are very fortunate to have the level of talent that exists within the Suffield Public Schools and I look forward to collaborating with Mrs. Pryce, Mrs. Todd, and Mr. Ferraro in their new assignments.
Over the next few months, all three administrators will be collaborating on their entry plans and meeting with staff, students, and school families. This may be done through virtual means, but efforts to familiarize themselves with their new positions and schools will certainly occur. I recognize the apprehension and uncertainty that accompanies change, but I am confident this decision will positively enhance the educational opportunities in each of our elementary schools. Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Mrs. Pryce, Mrs. Todd, and Mr. Ferraro in their new assignments.
Prior to concluding this letter, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Karen Carpenter-Snow for her fervent and humble leadership of McAlister Intermediate School for the past fourteen years. It can be said that Mrs. Carpenter-Snow led valiantly during an unprecedented time in public education. No Child Left Behind, Adequate Yearly Progress, Scientific Research Based Interventions, Common Core State Standards, Smarter Balanced Assessments, and Connecticut’s System for Educator Evaluation and Development were many of the initiatives that Mrs. Carpenter-Snow was tasked to lead as the Principal of McAlister Intermediate School. Although she will be leaving us at the conclusion of this school year, there will be many reminders of her leadership in and around the school. It is with the highest regard that I say good-bye and thank you to Mrs. Carpenter-Snow for her years of service to the students, families, and staff of the Suffield Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Timothy M. Van Tasel, Superintendent