September 19 – Covid Letter to Families
September 16 – Weekly Newsletter
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Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Dear Farmington River Families,
On Friday, September 5, 2022, the Farmington River Regional School District (FRRSD) School Committee voted to appoint me to the position of Interim Superintendent/Principal for the district. I am honored by the appointment. I have long known that the FRRSD community is committed to public education and that the school staff has a reputation for dedicated, professional, and talented educators who are committed to doing what is in the best interests of students. I look forward to working with families and staff to ensure the success of all students.
My career in public education goes back almost 40 years starting with my participation in the Coalition for School Improvement which was a collaboration between UMASS and public schools across the country. I then worked at Berkshire Hills Regional School District as an early elementary school teacher, a music teacher, a curriculum director, and a principal. I then moved to Central Berkshire Regional School District where I served as an Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent. I retired from the superintendency of Adams-Cheshire Regional School District in 2018, but I continued to keep my hand in public education by working for the Statewide System of Support (SSOS), the Berkshire County Education Task Force (BCETF), and filling in as the Interim Superintendent of Mt. Greylock in 2020 and Interim Principal at Richmond Elementary School in 2021. I will be drawing on my collective experiences to inform my work with the FRRSD.
As Interim Principal, I see my role as providing leadership and support for the existing instructional, curricular, intervention, behavioral, and support systems that are already in place. I will also supervise school staff regarding instruction, curriculum, student programs and issues, and building operations. Familial circumstances prevent me from serving as a full-time Interim Principal for the whole school year, but I will work full-time as we work through the process of finding a permanent principal. I am committed to serving as the part-time Interim Superintendent for the 2022-23 school year.
My immediate task is to establish relationships with the entire school community. To that end, I scheduled an assembly for 2:00 pm on Tuesday, September 6 to formally introduce myself to the students. I have also scheduled individual meetings with all staff members over the course of this week. I look forward to seeing you at our Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 15, but I am also scheduling a brief introductory Zoom meeting for Thursday, September 8th at 7:00 pm for those who can’t make it to Back-to-School Night. Please use the link to access the meeting.
Meet the New Principal
Zoom Link for September 8th Meet the Principal meeting.
Of course, I am available by email at rputnam@frrsd.org if you have concerns or questions or you can call the school and ask for me.
I’m looking forward to a productive and successful school year. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.
Sincerely,
Robert R. Putnam
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