New admins settle in at Veterans school

SAUGUS – Kelly Moss won?t have much time to prepare for his latest position as interim principal of Veterans Memorial Elementary School as the last weeks of summer quickly fade away.But luckily for him, it should be a smooth transition.Moss is already settled into his new office – one door down from his old one – after spending the last three years as Veterans? vice principal.?Being in this school system for the past few years, I already know so much about the school. I know the teachers, students and parents, so it?s a good fit,” he said in an interview at Veterans Memorial School on Monday. “It won?t be too overwhelming. Maybe a little bit challenging, but not overwhelming.”Moss began his career in 1984 as an internal suspension teacher at his alma mater, Everett High School, after studying elementary education at Salem State College.He remained in the Everett School System for more than 20 years, teaching everything from English as a second language to art education. He went on to receive his masters in instructional technology from Cambridge College and in 2007 he completed The Salem State College/Northeast Consortium Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Education, preparing him for an administrative position.?I worked with an awesome administrator in Everett for four years, and she took me aside and put the bug in my ear to go into administration,” Kelly said. “I think it was just the next logical step after 20 years in the classroom. I?ve been fortunate to work with good administrators and to see how great things operate and come together. I was up for the challenge and the opportunity came along.”That opportunity came in the form of an opening for vice principal at Veterans Memorial School in 2008. Kelly said he knew immediately that the school was a perfect fit for him and he was offered the job after an extensive interview process.?On my first day I came in and there was a huge banner that said ?Welcome Mr. Moss,? and all the kids had signed it,” Moss explained. “After meeting the kids and talking to the teachers, I realized right away that this was a special place.”Moss took over as vice principal at just the right time, as then-principal Uri Harel was implementing a lot of new initiatives to improve performance.Cynthia Joyce, Executive Director of Pupil Personnel Services and Special Education, was also then working to strengthen the special education program so that students with severe special needs could attend Veterans instead of being sent to other schools outside of the district.Moss said working with Harel and Joyce during a period of transition allowed him to see first hand how good administrators work.?Mr. Harel did a fantastic job, and Cynthia Joyce went out to hire very qualified people so we could keep the special-needs kids here and even bring some back, which saves the school a lot of money,” he said.Moss also became the principal of the Ballard Early Childhood Education School when it reopened in 2010.Since the pre-school programs in Saugus were held at Veterans Memorial School prior to the reopening, it made sense for the Veterans vice principal to also serve as the Ballard principal.Now that Moss has stepped up to become interim principal, Marie Bridges will replace him as Veterans vice principal and the Ballard School principal.Bridges previously served as evaluation team leader at the Ballard School, while Moss was principal, making them a good team.?With her administrative certificate and her background in special education, it made the most sense. Plus, she was my personal choice and Superintendent (Richard) Langlois is very open to our suggestions,” Moss said, referring to the decision to make Bridges vice principal. “I was rooting for her. She already knows the staff and the students well.”A Saugus native, Bridges began teaching in Saugus in 2000 after receiving her bachelor?s degree in human development with a minor in elementary and special education from Rivier College in Nashua, N.H.S