Donna Sweet is the new principal of #MiddletownRI High. A longtime educator, Sweet said clear communication is the key to success at every level and will be a priority for her as she starts her job next month.
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CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com
NEW MHS PRINCIPAL: COMMUNICATION IS KEY
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (JUNE 22, 2023) – For Middletown High and its students to be successful, Donna Sweet said communication is key.
Time and again when things fail or fall short of exceptions, the new principal of the Valley Road school said based on her experiences, it seems like a breakdown of dialogue is to blame.
Recently, Sweet met with outgoing Principal Jeff Heath, who is leaving at the end of the month to serve in the head job at Portsmouth High School.
When asked about what she’d say to Middletown High students, teachers and staff about how she’d make their experiences positive, Sweet was quick to answer.
“Communication. It’s hands down where things fall apart,” Sweet said. “I will often be heard saying, 'I would rather hear from a (student, teacher, parent, etc.) than not to.’ And this means in good times, not just the bad times. Good communication builds trust. Trust builds relationships. Relationships build success.
“We need to reteach and relearn how to be effective communicators, in person, eye to eye. We need to know when an email or text is not the way and be able to have hard conversations that are not divisive but meant to help understand various points of view for deeper understanding. We may not always agree, and that’s okay, we need to appreciate opposing viewpoints and move forward in a manner that is dignified and honors the relationship.”
“We should always be working toward progression, not perfection. We all stumble, falter, misunderstand and even misspeak. But when we have established relationships and communication, we work together to understand, resolve and move forward. I will reference the importance of ‘Grit and Grace’ during my tenure. Let’s work hard, but stay humble in the process, remembering that we are all human.”
Towards that end when speaking with the town, Sweet said she’s calling on the new senior Class of 2024 to lend a hand, acknowledging she’s the new principal on the block.
“My goals for the Class of 2024 are two fold — First, I want to encourage them to demonstrate their leadership as seniors, not only for the rest of the student body, but also for me as their Principal,” Sweet said. “I am calling on them to help me lead the school to high expectations, accountability, and to success. Secondly, I want to hear from them about their wants and desires to have a successful and fun senior year at MHS and to have the experiences they will need to be successful after graduation. I know they have had great leadership from Dr. Heath, I want to work with them to assure them that I plan to have a seamless transition for them to graduation.”
An educator for 27 years, Sweet got her start as an English teacher in the Westerly schools. From there, she rose to become a counselor before shifting into multiple administrative roles including a dean of students and assistant principal of multiple southern Rhode Island schools, most recently Westerly High School.
“Donna is a good fit for us, Middletown High School and our Middletown community,” Superintendent Rosemarie K. Kraeger said. “While we’re sorry to see Jeff go and the loss of his outstanding leadership, I know we’re all excited about the opportunities and future with Donna at the helm.”
Asked about what was attractive about the job at Middletown High, Sweet said she was sold by the community itself.
“The leading factor would be the climate of the schools,” Sweet said. “I have yet to find a person that has not told me how much they love the community, the school, the progress, and the relationships they have with the Middletown Public Schools. The tight-knit community is another positive factor because when you have an active community, it helps create a sense of commitment for the success of our students. For me, the timing was just right with the skill set I can offer. I look forward to the potential of the new middle/high school campus as well, to be involved at this level would be engaging and important work.”
That spirit and energy for Middletown was obvious to Sweet during the graduation ceremony she attended recently.
“From what I have gleaned so far, there seems to be a great willingness from everyone to pitch in and get the work done to support students,” Sweet said. “I am learning that parents are a great support to this work and there is a great sense of pride at the school.
“It was evident to me at my interviews and as I sat in the stands at graduation last weekend. The themes of kindness, balance, and togetherness resonated consistently across various speeches and the presence in the stands supported that sentiment as well. The upcoming bond gives the community the ability to ensure that future generations of Islanders have the resources and space to continue with high quality opportunities for students to be career and college ready. When a community invests in its infrastructure, the return on the investment is a continued economic growth of the town.”
The potential for a proposed middle-high school just north of Gaudet Middle School was also a selling point for Middletown, Sweet said.
“I am really attracted to the process of what is entailed in creating a learning space for future generations,” Sweet said. “I want to see more to understand but I think it will be important to think about (Career & Technical Education) programming, career pathways, athletic spaces, resources for the fine arts and the ability to have potential shared resources or access to resources so we can accurately think about public secondary education as grades 6-12 versus just as a four year high school experience. Safety, sustainability and green spaces will be important factors as well. We will have the ability to build a school of the future and I look forward to that work.”
Based on Sweet’s read, all her past experiences will help her with her new job, which she starts officially at the beginning of July.
“My experiences across the classroom, the counseling office and various Assistant Principal positions have given me wide and diverse expertise to help support students, teachers, parents and the community,” Sweet said. “I have worked on safety teams, safety care training, restorative practices, master scheduling, teacher evaluations, negotiating teams, data teams, 504 and IEP teams and testing coordination just to name a few.
“Through this work I aspire to help remove barriers for teachers and learners so that all students have a personalized ability to access curriculum and learning experiences that will make them independent and successful global citizens. I have worked in athletic and academically competitive spaces and places where we had students who may be struggling and need targeted interventions that are measured regularly.”
Document Link: https://www.middletownri.com/DocumentCenter/View/8931/NYCU-Sweet
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