2 Elementary School Principals Appointed

Two Greenwich elementary schools will have new principals come July 1 and five assistant principals have been reassigned in a reorganization of elementary school leadership announced by outgoing school Superintendent Dr. Sidney Freund.

Barbara Riccio, currently the assistant principal at Parkway School, has been named principal for New Lebanon School, and Patricia Allen, principal of Ralph Wheelock Elementary School in Medfield, MA, has been appointed the principal of the Parkway School. The two were appointed after the district interviewed both internal and external candidates.

Freund also announced the reassignment of five elementary assistant principals resulting in part from the opening at Parkway School created by Riccio’s promotion, and the outstanding vacancy at North Street School.

Of Riccio's appointment, Freund said in a prepared statement, “Barbara impressed me as the interim leader at Hamilton Avenue School in 2010, she is facile with analyzing data and using that analysis to drive instruction and decisions for improvement planning. She has a strong background in literacy, works collaboratively with teachers, and has broad experience in the diverse needs of students.” Riccio has been a teacher and administrator with the Greenwich Public Schools for 15 years.

Of Allen's appointment, Freund said, she "has a proven track record in sustaining achievement as a building leader in a high-performing school and a high-performing district, with a keen understanding of the strengths and challenges that come with that environment. She is a bright and articulate educator, always putting children first."

Dr. Deborah Cline has been named assistant principal for Parkway School. She is  one of two assistant principals at Riverside School during this year while Riverside Principal John Grasso serves as the Interim ALP Coordinator for the District. With Grasso’s return to Riverside School on July 1, Cline will assume the position of her post at Parkway.

Mary Grandville, assistant principal for Old Greenwich School since 2000, will transfer to North Street School as assistant principal.

Hamilton Avenue School Assistant Principal Claudia Segneri will transfer to Old Greenwich School. She came to Greenwich in 2010, from the King and Low Heywood Thomas School in Stamford after two years as the director of assessment and instruction.

Julian Curtiss Assistant Principal Jill Flood will transfer to Hamilton Avenue School. She has been with the Greenwich Public Schools since 2000

Gene Schmidt will transfer to Julian Curtiss School from his current position at the International School at Dundee (ISD), where he has been assistant principal for three years.

Freund said in his statement, “These re-assignments were carefully designed in order to aid us in long-term succession planning by cultivating leadership experience, broadening capacity, and strengthening leadership teams at this time of transition. The re-assignments provide the opportunities for Assistant Principals to work in different buildings with different student populations and under administrators with various strengths and experiences from which to learn.”

With Schmidt's transfer, the position of assistant principal at ISD has yet to be filled.