PORTSMOUTH — Well, that didn’t take long.

Less than two weeks after Robert Littlefield worked his last day as principal of Portsmouth High School following his sudden retirement announcement, the School Committee appointed his successor: Joseph Amaral, principal at the middle school for the past nine years.

The committee voted 6-0 to appoint Mr. Amaral on the recommendation of Superintendent of Schools Ana Riley. 

“That’s not an easy position to fill; it’s probably the flagship of the district,” Ms. Riley told the committee. “For me, the same person kept flashing before my eyes. We have someone on board. I think Joe has really demonstrated a lot of success at the middle school.”

The superintendent said Mr. Amaral has earned the respect of students, faculty and parents at the middle school. “This is a great, positive step forward for us,” she said.

After the meeting, Ms. Riley acknowledged she recommended someone from within the system because of Mr. Littlefield’s abrupt departure and the need to get a principal in place at PHS before the next school year begins.

However, she said she had every confidence that Mr. Amaral was an ideal candidate for the position. “He’s already got a track record,” she said, “so that makes it easier.”

“I think with Mr. Littlefield’s late retirement, my years of experience at the middle school were very appealing to the superintendent and I’m honored that she had the confidence in me to put me at the high school, which is already a commended school,” Mr. Amaral said after the meeting, adding that he’s excited about his new challenge.

“I hope to be able to be a partner with the teachers, with the students and the parents and continue to move the school ever further along,” he said. “I really believe in empowering teachers and parents and students and providing the best opportunity for learning. I’m going to listen a lot and pick out some good ideas that we can work to the betterment of students.”

Mr. Amaral has taken a curious route to the high school principalship. 

He was a math and science teacher at the middle school for five years, then went to Barrington to become an assistant principal. He then returned to Portsmouth to be the assistant principal at the middle school for about eight years before spending the last nine as principal.

“In between there, I did one year of teaching at Portsmouth High School, so it’s sort of weird that I taught at both schools and became principal at both, too,” he said.

Different dynamics

Mr. Amaral said he realizes a high school has different dynamics than does a middle school, and he will make the necessary adjustments in his approach as principal.

“You have students who really should have more of a voice, because this is their school; they need to be able to articulate what they want. We have terrific extracurricular activities, which I think is important because it connects the kids to the school,” he said.

Even though PHS is already a commended school, there’s always room for improvement, he said. 

“We have the tools in place to make that happen, but it’s going to take a total team effort,” Mr. Amaral said. “Bob Littlefield did a great job building the school for the past 18 years. He’s a great cheerleader for academic rigor. We have the record for the number of kids taking AP courses. We have a school district that has the highest graduation rate in the state. I think now it’s just making sure that all students rise to that level.”

Like Mr. Littlefield, he didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his students. Fortunately, he said, some of them will start trickling into PHS starting in the fall, and he’ll catch up with others when they tag along with older siblings at football games.

“I’ll still be seeing the awesome wonder that is the middle school child,” he said. “The kids make me laugh, sometimes make me cry; they bring out a lot of emotions. And, I think we’ve done a real good job at the middle school to build a sense of family and teamwork, and that I’ll miss.”

If he’s still PHS principal after four years, Mr. Amaral will also have a unique claim to fame. Many of the students who had him as principal for five years at the middle school will have him for another four at PHS.

“Not too many kids can say, ‘I had Mr. Amaral as principal for nine years,’” he said.

Search on for new middle school principal

Now that there’s a vacancy for middle school principal, Ms. Riley said a search committee is being formed that will include members of the school committee, “parents, teachers, any administrators who are not applying for the position.”

“Our hope will be by the Aug. 9 meeting to bring someone forward (to the School Committee),” she said.