From across state lines: Meet the new elementary school principal

As summer comes to a close, Rhode Island native Daniel Sylvestre is making his way into his new office.

Sylvestre will be filling the role of principal at Wareham Elementary School coming from his role as principal of Park Elementary school in Warwick, Rhode Island. 

Although this isn’t Sylvestre’s first educational experience in Massachusetts. He was principal of Daniel Webster Elementary School in Marshfield for three years before his career moved took him across state lines.

During his second year at Park Elementary School, the school earned a blue ribbon, which recognizes schools for academic achievement and significant improvement. Sylvestre said they were awarded due to his staff.

The educators at his former elementary school helped students get small groups together and worked with them to help improve their testing results and their overall academics. 

“Testing is kind of the end result that everyone sees, but our goal is always to make sure students are progressing and able to access the curriculum,” he said. 

As for the MCAS, Sylvestre said he likes to take a similar approach. 

“I’m not high pressure with students. I want students to be comfortable. I want them to be challenged long before they get the test,” he said. “It’s preparation for life. It’s just another challenge that you’re going to have in your life.”

Testing is a tool used to gauge the students’ growth, and growth isn’t linear, he said.

“We can see how successful our students are based on what we’re giving them…if we’re seeing growth, even little bits of growth, that’s okay.” he said. “Sometimes you progress forward, sometimes you go backwards for a little bit, and then you go forward. Each time, you’re growing and learning.”

Sylvestre said that the MCAS tests are more for the teachers than the students.

"It’s just for us to help us educate kids better…how we can adjust the curriculum and how their accessibility to the curriculum is,” he said. 

As for his own changes to the school and curriculum, Sylvestre said he will make changes after he settles in.

“I’m very subtle. I’ll make changes for sure. There’ll be things that I see that I feel I could help improve on. But I’d work with the staff on it and collaborate with them,” he said. 

Sylvestre plans on keeping the technology policy, where phones are kept in the kids’ backpacks until the end of the day. He said he believes a phone is  a major part of a child’s world, and the school should help teach them how to use it.

“I think it’s an important part of education…And we have to help them navigate it and figure out how to use it, because you can’t just believe everything you see on social media,” he said. “You have to learn how to post things and how to write things appropriately, so education has to bend in that direction a little bit more."

For new students joining the district, he had words of encouragement. 

“Let’s learn together,” he said.