Riverside School Principal Named

An assistant Norwalk elementary school principal has been tapped to be the new principal of Riverside School.

In an announcement released yesterday, interim Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Roger Lulow announced the appointment of Christopher D. Weiss as the principal of Riverside School, effective July 1. Weiss is the assistant principal at Norwalk's Wolfpit Elementary School. He also is a part-time professor of education for Concordia University’s (Portland, OR) Online Masters Program. He also has acted as a technology specialist and webmaster during 17 years in education.

Weiss will succeed long-time Riverside Principal John Grasso who is retiring at the end of the school year.

In a prepared statement, Lulow said, Weiss "is an experienced elementary educator and leader. His areas of focus throughout his career – improving achievement for each student based on their individual needs, technology integration, character building, and service to the community, as well as his travel experience and knowledge of languages – will serve the Riverside School community well."

In the statement, Weiss said, he is looking forward to continuing "to build on Riverside's strong tradition of excellence."

Weiss began his career in education in 1995 as a fourth-grade teacher and technology specialist at Christian Heritage School in Trumbull. In 1999, he moved to Jane Ryan Elementary School in Trumbull as a fifth-grade teacher and technology specialist. He also held a part-time position at Sacred Heart University as an English as a Second Language professor from 2000-2003. From 2003 to 2005, Weiss was a fifth-grade teacher and administrative intern at Frenchtown Elementary School in Trumbull.

Weiss has been Wolfpit School's assistant principal since 2005. He also worked in Japan where he developed English as a Second Language programs.

Weiss received a bachelor's degree in computer science from Gordon College in 1991, and a master's degree in teaching from Sacred Heart University in 1995. He also received his Sixth Year Degree in educational administration from Sacred Heart University in 2005. He received the Excellence in Educational Research Award from SHU in 2006.