SAUGUS — After the retirement of Dr. Maureen Lueke, the Belmonte STEAM Academy was in search of its next principal, which it has found in Christopher Blair.
According to an announcement made by the school, there were three rounds of interviews, a building tour, a staff panel and a stakeholders panel before Blair was selected out of almost 20 candidates.
“Christopher comes to us with a vast educational experience, including time as a teacher, assistant principal, and building principal,” the school stated.
During a School Committee meeting, Superintendent Michael Hashem introduced Blair, saying Blair had already been putting in the work. He also noted that a new assistant principal had been hired. “There’s been a lot of progress already,” he said.
“Welcome. We’re excited to have you, and as I said, if there’s anything you need, we’re here to support you. I’ll tell you you’ve got great teachers and a great staff. I’ll tell you one thing about Saugus, and I’ve always felt this: We excel in the elementaries, and we really just need to get back to the roots of that,” School Committee Chair Vincent Serino said during the meeting.
“We are excited to have Mr. Blair on board. He has already started and has a great plan for the upcoming year. He is accessible and will be a great addition to the district,” Serino told The Daily Item.
In the school’s announcement, Blair spoke of his history, stating he was originally from Southern California and grew up in Oregon, where he became a journalist before going to school to become a teacher in 1996. He spent 17 years as a teacher and administrator before moving to New Hampshire and becoming an elementary school principal.
“I’m currently a high school assistant principal in Windham, N.H., but I’m really looking forward to returning to working with younger students. During my interviews and meetings with staff, I made it clear that all of my many interests and career paths — music, photography, writing, science, and so on — started in elementary school,” Blair said.
He said he’s eager to get to work, noting that grades two to five “make all the difference in setting the tone for a student’s educational future.” Blair added that his office is always a place where students, staff and families can drop in if they want to learn more about Belmonte and what to expect in the coming year.
