South End’s Kamerbeek Named Principal at Hatton

At the end of the 2011-12 school year, South End Principal Sally Kamerbeek will take on new challenges overseeing a larger student body after she was named the new Principal at the this week.

Joseph V. Erardi Jr. and Assistant Superintendent Karen Smith announced officially on Wednesday that Kamerbeek has accepted an offer to be the next principal at Hatton. Current Hatton Principal Roberta McAloon is set to retire at the end of the year.

“Mrs. Kamerbeek is an instructional leader that I hold in high regard. It is my strong belief that Mrs. Kamerbeek has an extraordinary skill set and that her expertise and approach to teaching and learning is the perfect fit for Hatton Elementary School,” Erardi said in a letter to parents Wednesday. “I am certain that Mrs. McAloon’s hard work, genuine love for children, and her uncompromising passion to build partnerships and programs will remain in place with Mrs. Kamerbeek.”

The decision was made earlier in the week, according to the letter, and was announced Wednesday on the school district’s website. Separate letter were sent to parents at each school after the decision was announced to faculty and staff Wednesday morning, Board of Education Chairman Brian Goralski said. 

The move was made as a way of addressing one need in the district, but board members will still face the challenge of filling three additional needs in the district. In addition to McAloon, Principal Angelo Campagnano and Principal Beecher Lajoie have also announced their intentions to retire once the school year is complete.

In 2011, the board at the district’s largest elementary school, the , after promoting Smith to assistant superintendent.

“It’s going to be a challenge to replace that kind of leadership, but we anticipate having a strong pool of candidates to select from,” Goralski said. “We will approach all three openings with a goal of finding the best qualified candidate to further the mission of Southington Schools.”

Erardi said in the letter to South End parents that he anticipates that parents, teachers and guardians will have an active role in helping select a successor at .

“I also shared with the South End staff that educators and parents/guardians/grandparents will be deeply involved in selecting the school’s next principal,” Erardi said. “Additional information will be forthcoming on the selection process in the immediate future.”