The Saco School Department staff is ready for a new school year which starts today and runs through next June. COURTESY PHOTO
SACO — It’s back to the books for students in Saco. The city’s public schools rang in the school year this morning and welcomed some new staff.
At Saco Middle School, new Principal Kenneth Hawkins was enthusiastic for the start of school which serves students in sixth through eighth grade.
“I am eager to meet students and parents as the year goes on. I have spent much of my summer meeting the staff of Saco Middle School. I am happy to be surrounded by such a positive group of educators that are part of our amazing learning community,” said Hawkins in a letter to parents.
Hawkins is the former principal of the K.A. Brett School in Tamworth, New Hampshire, a position he left to spend a year traveling around the world with his family. Hawkins began his career as an eighth-grade science teacher and has also worked as the assistant principal at Sanborn Regional High School and as the assistant principal at York Middle School.
Another new face at Saco Middle School was new educational technician Victoria Oakes, who previously worked in the Portland school system.
The SMS community also welcomed back Delaney Coyne. Coyne was student teacher at SMS last year and has returned to teach sixth-grade language arts.
The school district has hired four new teachers and one educational technician to accommodate the newly expanded Pre-Kindergarten program.
New Pre-K teacher Dawn Nise-Hilton has 12 years experience teaching Pre-K; teacher Tara Spinney previously worked in the Kennebunk school system in the Pre-K program as well as with students in Kindergarten through third grade at the Developmental Learning Center; teacher Jen Poulin taught 19 years in Regional School Unit 21 and four years in Virginia; and Christine Downey has five years experience teaching Kindergarten and seven years at a preschool at a private Montessori school.
New Pre-K educational technician Marcie Mortenson was a Pre-K teacher at the Head Start program in Buxton for six years and also worked as en educational technician in a functional life skills classroom with Kindergarten through fifth-grade students in the Bonny Eagle school District.
C.K. Burns School, serving students in third through fifth grade, welcomed two new third-grade teachers – Mary Pinette and Heather Hjort.
Both Pinette and Hjort are familiar with the school. Pinette, who is also a registered nurse, worked as a substitute in the school system and Hjort was a student teacher at C.K. Burns last year.
Megan Grassi is the new string instrument teacher at C.K. Burns. Grassi conducted orchestral programs in the public schools of Martha’s Vineyard and Manchester, New Hampshire, and is a former member of Boston’s New England Philharmonic
C.K. Burns also welcomed new behavioral health professional Lisa Falardeau, a former substitute teacher in the school district; new school counselor Maria Russell-Bernard, who has 11 years experience working with students; and new special education teacher Lucy Mudford, who worked abroad five years in the United Arab Emirates with children with Autism.
Other new staff at C.K. Burns include educational technicians Shaelyn Drypolcher, Alexis Heldenbrand and Kelly Dery.
Governor John Fairfield School, serving students in Kindergarten through second grade, welcomed new school social worker Jennifer Dondero, who has 25 years experience in the field.
Also new to Fairfield School are special education teacher John Bircherl, whose 13 years experience in the field of special education includes five years working at the Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders in South Portland; and composite teacher Alessa Foley, who previously taught in a small special-purpose school for students with learning challenges.
Fairfield School has five new educational technicians: Emily Furr, Angela Sanson, Tristin Tomsen, Mary Richard and Carla Hauk.
There’s a new face in the office at Young School, which serves students from Kindergarten through second grade. Laurie Turmel is the new administrative assistant. Turmel worked for 10 years in the guidance and front offices at Sanford Junior High and for 2 1/2 years in the guidance office at Marshwood High School.
Also new at Young School are social worker Emily Thompson, who has 13 years experience working with children and families; library media specialist Deanna Contrino with a decade of experience in the field, and math support educational technician Alina Steadman who has seven years experience as a math interventionist.
Sarah Hasham came on board this year as the music teacher for both Young and Fairfield schools. She is a freelance musician and has also taught students of all ages, both in public schools and through private lessons.
Saco schools also has a new district-wide employee. Sandy Titcomb has been hired as the new district behavior analyst. She is a board-certified behavior analyst and worked in a similar role for four years at a different school system prior to coming to Saco.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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