GREENFIELD — With summer vacation winding down, the Greenfield School Department is looking forward to welcoming students back this week with new staff, programs and tools.
Superintendent Carol Kruser said she is excited to kick off her first school year as superintendent. District leadership has been preparing for the new year, welcoming new team members and filling remaining vacancies ahead of the students’ return. Students in grades one through 12 start on Sept. 2, and kindergarten and preschool start on Sept. 4.
“I’ve spent the last two months learning everything I can to learn. … I’m excited to get to know our students and families,” Kruser said. “I think we’re ready to go.”
Kruser said the district has a lot of returning staff this year, along with a few new faces in each of the buildings. The district is still looking for building-specific substitutes and a middle school Spanish teacher, special education instructional assistants and other roles.
The superintendent emphasized that although the district is continuing to hire, it has the necessary staffing levels to support students when they return.
“We do have enough staff for our schedules,” Kruser said.
In the district’s central office, Greenfield has welcomed Robyn Nelson and Katherine Sasser as the new assistant directors of pupil services, and Marc Wilczynski as the help desk administrator in the Information Technology Department.
Elementary schools
Across Greenfield’s elementary schools, students and families can expect a few changes, including a new principal at Newton School, a new name for the Four Corners School and the expansion of the district’s restorative practices program.
David Potter, principal of the Four Corners School, said that while he is not sure when the new signs will go up, he is very excited that the Discovery School at Four Corners has been officially renamed the Four Corners School.
The reason for the name change proposal, Potter had told the School Committee in June, was that the school has “not been an official, state-approved ‘Discovery School’ for many years. Meanwhile, the district has moved deliberately and thoughtfully toward creating more unity among the elementary schools, making it very unlikely that there will be a future initiative to renew our Discovery School status.”
“Currently, the school is commonly referred to by many names, including Four Corners, 4C and Discovery School,” Potter said at the time. “Since joining the school district, the only times I hear the school called by its full name is when we answer the phone in the main office. Overall, it seems confusing and unnecessary to continue with the current name.”
Potter feels that now, heading into his second year as principal, he is better prepared to coordinate learning activities.
“I’m excited,” Potter said. “It’s my year two here, and I have a lot more grounding in the school community here.”
Potter added that this year, the Newton and Four Corners schools will be joining the district’s restorative practices initiative, which was launched at Federal Street School last academic year. The restorative practices coordinator, who has been working at Federal Street School, will bring initiatives to create a culture of belonging, trust and shared accountability among students, teachers and staff to all of the elementary schools.
“We’re joining the initiative to deepen the restorative practices program,” Potter said.
Kruser said restorative practices is an “integral program” that had a successful pilot at Federal Street School, and the district is looking to hire a new coordinator to continue the program, who will work to reduce harm and support students in finding solutions to their problems amicably.
Kruser added that this year, the district plans to continue focusing on early literacy and boosting students’ foundations in reading and writing. Supported by a state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) grant, the district is implementing the Focus on Pre-K curriculum developed by Boston Public Schools. The grant covers the purchase of materials and training staff.
At Newton School, students and families can expect another new face, in addition to the restorative practices coordinator — the new principal, Kristen Heath, who is replacing interim Principal Carol Jacobs.
Kelly Halpin, principal of Federal Street School, said in a statement said that she is excited to welcome students back.
“Some will walk into a classroom for the very first time, while others will return to a school they know well. Every child should feel safe, known and ready to grow here,” Halpin wrote. “We are fortunate to have families who partner with us every day. I am personally incredibly grateful to our teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians, food service team and office staff, who have spent weeks planning lessons, preparing classrooms, and readying our classrooms and building for a great year.”
High school
At Greenfield High School, Principal Michael Browning said he’s looking forward to seeing what students can do with the six printers in the new 3-D printing lab and what they can learn through an expanded Innovation Career Pathways program focused on manufacturing.
“I think for us, because we have a lot of opportunities coming, it’s going to be an exciting year,” Browning said. “There’s a lot of things going on. I’m excited.”
In 2024, the school applied for and received state funding to develop an Innovation Career Pathways program to help students pursue manufacturing careers after graduation. The program launched last school year; according to the 2025-2026 program of studies, students had the opportunity to enroll in a 2.5-credit manufacturing course that tackled the basics of manufacturing in sheet metal and light gauge steel.
Browning explained that the program is being expanded with the help of local manufacturing companies, and juniors will have the opportunity to pursue summer internships with local partners.
“The theme for this year is anchored in hope,” Browning said. “It’s a great place to be.”
