HATFIELD — Former health teacher and athletic director David Keir was appointed interim principal of Smith Academy and will begin on Dec. 17, according to a release from Superintendent John Robert.
Keir retired at the end of the last school year after a 35-year career at Smith Academy, having held several positions, including athletic director and dean of students.
In an email, Robert said Keir’s familiarity with Smith Academy would “provide both continuity and stability for the remainder of the school year with the least disruption.”
Andrew Berrios, who started working at Smith Academy in 2012, announced earlier this fall he was leaving mid-year to be principal at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield, Connecticut, a much larger school compared to Smith Academy.
The school plans to find a permanent replacement for Berrios to start in July, and the district will be posting a job listing in March, the superintendent’s release said.
Keir came back from retirement in hopes of being a familiar face to students and creating a smooth transition to the new principal.
“The specific plan,” he said, “is to keep the boat moving in the right direction. Making no major changes. Just keeping Smith Academy, Smith Academy.”
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com