New Middle School Principal Set For First Year In Wakefield

Another school year is already in sight and for Wakefield's middle school students, that means they're also getting ready to welcome a new principal.

Mark Bedrosian, hired earlier this year as the new principal of the , spent nine years working in the Gloucester school district, as an assistant principal at the high school and middle school, and also as a dean of academics at the high school. As an teacher, Bedrosian's background is in social studies.

"We're going to be the best (grades) 5-8 middle school we can be," said Bedrosian in a recent conversation with Wakefield Patch. "And we're going to be best the K-12 middle school we can be." In other words, Bedrosian said that an important focus for a middle school is the transition that outgoing students make into high school, and also the transition that incoming students make from grade school.

"I think this is a great school, it's a great district," added Bedrosian.

The new principal indicated that another priority for the coming school year will be math scores - a subject that Bedrosian tends to be one of the toughest areas nationally for middle school-aged students.

Looking ahead to some other prospective challenges in the coming year, Bedrosian cited a new state evaluation system and new standards that the district and staff will need to work with.