NORTHFIELD — As former Northfield Elementary School Principal Megan Desmarais returns to teaching fourth grade, the Pioneer Valley Regional School District has tapped longtime educator James Trill to serve as interim principal for the 2022 to 2023 school year.
A Briton who brought his family to Northfield in 1993, Trill, 65, brings more than 25 years of experience in the various roles of elementary and secondary education. With that extensive background in education, along with more than a decade of management in the shipping industry during his time in England, Trill said he is excited to take the reins and put the school on course for long-term success.
“You can’t steer that container ship immediately,” Trill said in the school’s library, noting that “minute details” are some of the most important things for the school to look at. “That’s what we’ve got to pay attention to here.”
As the district, like many others in Franklin County, deals with funding challenges and declining enrollment, Trill was picked to guide it through an interim period while it works out long-range planning. Paraphrasing “Field of Dreams,” Trill said he can help develop a framework for long-term success, which in turn brings strong, qualified employees to the district.
“I see it as an opportunity to support staff, students and families in this next stage,” he continued. “That’s exactly what we need to do — if you build a system, people will come.”
Before retiring in 2019, Trill served as Erving Elementary School’s principal for six years, three years as Butterfield Elementary School’s principal, half a decade as Ralph C. Mahar Regional School’s dean of students and also taught U.S. history at Pioneer Valley Regional School — which he joked was ironic because it was a “Brit teaching U.S. history.”
After spending years working with freight companies like United States Lines in London, Trill was offered a job as the director of development and a teaching position at Linden Hill School in Northfield in 1993. He immediately moved his family across the pond and set their roots down in Franklin County, where they remain to this day. Three of his four children were enrolled at Northfield Elementary School and all four attended Pioneer Valley Regional School.
A self-described “traditionalist,” Trill said he often emphasizes the “little lessons” in life, like holding the door for someone or making eye contact while giving someone a firm handshake. These fleeting moments, he added, make a great first impression and build a mutual respect between two people that can foster a great relationship.
“People will move mountains for you if you show them respect,” Trill said. “Those moments are so important.”
Despite the title saying “interim,” Trill said he doesn’t see it that way. He instead sees this as another chance for the district to invest in the children that attend Northfield Elementary.
“Children are our future. It’s rather glib when you say that, but it’s true,” Trill noted. “When there’s a tough situation, I’m going to have a great time supporting the district because I believe in the staff and people in these communities.”
According to Pioneer Superintendent Patricia Kinsella, a search process for a more permanent principal will begin in February.
As an educator, Trill said he loves seeing the moment a student realizes the solution to a question or problem.
“When that bulb goes off and their face lights up,” Trill explained, “knowing you’ve been a part of that process is the greatest reward anyone can get.”
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.