When students head back to Kickemuit Middle School next Wednesday, Aug. 30, they’ll have a new principal: Christine Homen has been hired to replace former principal Jared Vance.

Ms. Homen served as the middle school’s assistant principal for five years before being promoted earlier this month by the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee.

“I decided now was the time” to apply for the position after Mr. Vance announced his departure for Rogers High School in Newport, she said.

“I’m extremely excited. What a great opportunity; I love everything about this community.”

Ms. Homen worked as a science and math teacher in Portsmouth for nearly 20 years before coming to Kickemuit five years ago. Though she no longer has the chance to teach her own classes, she has gotten to help out now and then and said she loves to interact with students as an administrator. She thinks that will continue as principal:

“I don’t get to teach as much, but I get to connect with kids in a way that’s above and beyond academics, at a human level.”

And she’ll start that soon: Ms. Homen is holding a “Pizza with the Principal” meeting with about 20 students this Thursday after asking members of the PTO to gather a representative group of students together so she could meet and talk with them about Kickemuit, before the start of the school year.

“I’ve heard from parents, I’ve heard from teachers, now I want to hear from them,” she said. “I want to get feedback from them.”

She doesn’t know what they’ll say, but overall is happy with Kickemuit and the path Mr. Vance put the school on during his tenure. During his two years at the school Mr. Vance coined Kickemuit’s “Part of the Pack” motto as a way to build a “culture of cohesiveness” in the school, Ms. Homen said.

“I really want to make (that motto) come to life,” she aid. “I want the kids, staff and parents to live and breathe it.”