New principals and new positions in the schools

The school district has announced new principals for the elementary and middle schools for the 2025–26 school year.

Current elementary school vice principal Sara Russo has been named the new principal of Wareham Middle School. Daniel Sylvestre, former principal of Park Elementary School in Warwick, Rhode Island, has been named the new principal of Wareham Elementary School.

Under Sylvestre’s leadership, Park Elementary was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2023, an award given by the U.S. Department of Education to schools demonstrating high academic achievement or significant growth.

Sylvestre has also served in principal and assistant principal roles in the Marshfield and Plymouth school districts.

Current elementary school principal Beth Chandler, who has held the position since 2017, will begin a new role as the district’s director of beyond school time effective Nov. 1. She will replace Jane Fondulis, who is retiring in late October.

In her new position, Chandler will oversee the high school’s night school, various after-school programs, and the distribution of several state grant funds.

“It’s really exciting because it’s going to offer so many outstanding opportunities,” Chandler said.

Chandler began her career in the district as an elementary school teacher in 2004. She became principal of Wareham Elementary in 2017.

“The beyond school time director supports a lot of experiential learning,” she said. “Experiential learning is about providing students with opportunities to learn outside the traditional classroom.”

Chandler said many of these opportunities are made possible through grants she plans to continue supporting. One such grant is the Playful Learning Grant, which promotes learning through play for students in preschool through grade three.

“It’s not taking away from traditional learning,” Chandler said. “It’s students playfully learning curriculum in a different manner.”

Chandler will also oversee a new initiative through the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative, which will launch a preschool program at the high school. The grant provides funding for early childhood education and supports area preschools with various resources.

“We’re opening more opportunities for young children in Wareham and also offering more opportunities for the high school students,” she said. “This way they’ll be able to earn their Early Childhood Certificates so they can work in daycares.”

She added that providing early learning experiences will help children be better prepared for kindergarten.

“The kids need to be developmentally prepared to enter the public school system in a way that’s going to make sure they are acclimated to what it’s like to be around other kids and have a full day of school,” Chandler said. “So often, little children come to us without previous experiences, which causes frustrations. This is going to help them be more prepared.”

Current middle school principal Tracie Cote will also transition to a new role as the district’s director of teaching, learning and technology.