Hampden Meadows School has a new principal, although he has a very familiar face.

Last week, the district announced that Gino Sangiuliano, a former teacher and assistant principal and interim principal, was selected as the full-time principal at Hampden Meadows School. Mr. Sangiuliano has been in the district since 1996.

Barrington Superintendent of Schools Mike Messore said he was very excited about the district’s decision to select Mr. Sangiuliano to continue leading Hampden Meadows School. “Mr. S” as he is known by many at the school, has been serving as the interim principal at the school since the start of the year; former HMS principal Tracey McGee announced her resignation late in the summer.

“It’s a great step for the district,” Mr. Messore said about Mr. Sangiuliano’s appointment. “You really need someone there to run the school as a full-time principal. Now we just need to get him an assistant principal.”

Mr. Messore said he planned to post the opening for an assistant principal at Hampden Meadows School by the end of last week. He also said that more than a dozen people applied for the HMS principal position. The search committee worked hard to narrow down the list to two finalists. 

Last Monday, the committee held interviews, and shortly thereafter they selected Mr. Sangiuliano for the job.

“He’s very enthusiastic about everything he does,” Mr. Messore said about Mr. Sangiuliano. “He really has a passion for students, and you can see that every day. He knows his student population. He knows his teachers. He’s very supportive of his staff. He’s versed in how we’re moving forward as a district.

“His passion, his enthusiasm is really going to benefit, not just the students and staff” but Hampden Meadows School as a whole.

Mr. Messore said Mr. Sangiuliano told district officials that he wants Hampden Meadows School to serve as more than just a transition from neighborhood elementary schools to the middle school. He said he wants it to become a memorable two years for students as they grow in Barrington schools.

“He really is committed to that school,” Mr. Messore said. 

The superintendent said he felt very confident putting Mr. Sangiuliano in as the HMS principal. 

Mr. Sangiuliano started as a teacher at Sowams School in 1996 and also taught at Hampden Meadows School for nine years. He worked for the state for two years as a special coach, mentoring new teachers. He then returned to Barrington schools, working as an enrichment specialist at Primrose Hill School and then, in 2014, was named assistant principal at Hampden Meadows School.

Other positions

Mr. Messore said the district recently hired Matthew Glum as the new facilities director, filling a vacancy when Skip Learned retired. The superintendent said Mr. Glum has a lot of experience in the field, and recently worked at Johnson & Wales University. He also started his career as a firefighter at a New York City airport. 

“What really stood out was his experience with HVAC,” Mr. Messore said, referring to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. “He has a lot of industrial experience.”

Mr. Messore said the district is still completing the search for a new Nayatt School principal. That position opened up when Tracey Learned announced she was resigning to fill a different role in the Providence School Department. Mr. Messore said about 20 people applied for the Nayatt job. He said the search committee has identified three finalists.

The superintendent said it was his goal to have the Nayatt principal position filled by the second week of January. In the meantime, the district has hired Dennis Fernandes to serve as interim Nayatt principal.