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Narragansett Regional School District

Superintendent's Corner

	A message from Dr. Roseli Weiss, Superintendent of Schools

SUPERINTENDENT’S CORNER

May/June 2012

This will be my final Superintendent’s Corner. On June 1st, I will address the candidates of the graduation class of 2012. Following that, I will take my leave of Narragansett Regional School District. Ruth Miller will be the Acting Superintendent from June 2nd-June 30th. She will be the Superintendent beginning July 1st. The transition will be a smooth one as we have worked together successfully for three of my four years.

It has been my honor to serve the students, families, and communities of Templeton and Phillipston during these four years. I have always taken pride in being associated with this District. My memories will be of the initiatives we worked toward and the power of teamwork. While the economic times continue to be a cause of concern, we know that times will get better. When they do, Narragansett will be well-positioned to excel as we move further into the 21st Century.

I wish this District much success and pride as it continues forward. I would love to learn that a new school has been built in Templeton. I would love to learn that the District added foreign language back to the Middle School, but at a level that impacts the global understanding that our students need to possess to be successful during their adulthood.

I would love to learn that foreign language has been implemented in K-12 during the years ahead. We have made a good beginning by sending Shawn Rickan to China to establish a relationship between our sister school and Narragansett. Developing an exchange program for students and staff heightens our awareness of the global community and its impact upon our students. I would love to see more "hands-on" experiences for our students such as the robotics classes, nutrition classes, art classes, music and drama that we have begun to implement. I would love to see more classroom materials and continuing professional development for our wonderful teachers. There are many more things I wish for Narragansett, but the above are enough for now.

We continue to be in challenging times for education and life in general. Leadership is not only the ability to command and model during good times but to do the same during challenging times. There are many people who have appreciated the changes made during my four years. There are also people who have not been as happy and/or who have disagreed. That is the power of a free and democratic society. Rumors, gossip and other malicious behavior are not supportive of a positive culture. To those who misread or did not appreciate the initiatives I undertook, I apologize. I do not, however, believe that I would have changed any of my decisions. As the Superintendent, I tried to do what I believed was in the best interest of the students here including an office that allowed the staff here to do the jobs necessary to meet the demands of the State. That was my motivation, whether all supported the decisions or not. A leader must do what he/she believes in. I was hired for my background, training and the belief in education that I possess. I thank the two communities for the four years I spent in Narragansett. I wish you all the best for the future. I will miss the students, staff, and communities.

Thank you.

Roseli Weiss