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Greenwich Announces Middle School Principal Is Moving To Westport Job

Update: GREENWICH, Conn. -- A Greenwich middle school principal is moving up to high school -- and moving to Westport, according to a statement from the Greenwich School District. 

After six years as Central Middle School principal in Greenwich Shelley Somers is taking over as principal at Staples High School in Westport. Her new job begins July 1.

After six years as Central Middle School principal in Greenwich Shelley Somers is taking over as principal at Staples High School in Westport. Her new job begins July 1.

Photo Credit: Contributed

But the Westport School District has not made an announcement yet on the new Staples High School principal. (See updated story here on the Daily Voice.) 

Shelley Somers, who has been principal of Central Middle School for the last six years, will be the next principal at Staples High School in Westport, the Greenwich School District announced. She starts in her new job July 1.

However, the Westport Public School system has not announced the new principal for Staples. In an email, the school district said Somers is a "candidate for the position," and no announcement has been made.

Somers will replace John Dodig, who has been the principal of Staples High School for the last 11 years. He is retiring at the end of the academic year.

"Although I am sad to leave, I feel confident that Central will continue to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students," she said in a statement Tuesday. "I have enjoyed working with and will miss the Central Middle School community, especially the students, as well as my colleagues across the district. I am looking forward to returning to high school, and I am excited about becoming part of the Staples community.”

Although he is losing a principal, Greenwich Superintendent of Schools William McKersie praised her and said she is an example of the town's educational leadership.

“We applaud Shelley Somers’ appointment as principal of Staples High School," he said. "Ms. Somers is a prime example of the expert educators that we have in our district -- she has always focused first and foremost on the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well being of her students. We will miss her greatly as a professional colleague and wish her all the best in her new role.”

The search for a Central Middle School Principal will begin immediately.

Before joining the Greenwich Public Schools as Central Middle School principal in 2009, Somers worked in South Carolina for the Beaufort County Schools for 10 years as teacher and administrator at the secondary level (1999- 2009). In her role as English and Spanish teacher at the Humanities School of Beaufort in 1999-2000, she designed curriculum for both disciplines and created a Drama Department for the school.

In 2000, she moved to Battery Creek High School in Beaufort as an English teacher and department chair. She taught English and journalism for students in grades 9-12, supervised the department, and developed and implemented a Tech Prep curriculum and a small learning community for at-risk students. She was honored as the Battery Creek High School 2003 Teacher of the Year. In 2003, she was appointed assistant principal for Hilton Head High School. 

She taught English at Robert Smalls Middle School in 2005-06 before accepting the position of Head of School of Arts, Communications and Technology at Beaufort High School in 2006. 

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