The Old Rochester Regional School District and Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55 Superintendent Michael S. Nelson are pleased to announce Gregory Thomas’ appointment as the new assistant principal of Sippican Elementary School, effective July 1. Thomas brings more than 20 years of educational experience and remains committed to fostering connections with students and watching them succeed.
Gregory Thomas joins Sippican School from Middleborough Public Schools, where he was the assistant principal at Henry B. Burkland Elementary School since 2020. At Burkland, he devoted his time to improving student behavior via restorative practices, collaborative problem solving and mediation.
From 2018 to 2020, Thomas was the principal of John T. Nichols Middle School in Middleboroughand led a faculty and staff of about 80 people, working to create a culture of inclusion, accountability, and willingness to take risks for the betterment of over 800 students.He was the assistant principal at Nichols from 2015 to 2018.
Thomas will be replacing Pete Crisafulli at Sippican.
“On behalf of the entire district, I would like to welcome Gregory Thomas as the new assistant principal of Sippican Elementary School,” said Superintendent Nelson. “He brings a strong background of school leadership and is a skilled collaborator. We are confident that he will be a great addition to the school community and look forward to him joining our administration next school year.”
In addition to working at Middleborough Public Schools, Thomas held positions as the dean of students and the athletic director at Norfolk County Agricultural High School, a master teacher at Stonehill College, both as a special education teacher and an athletic director at Avon Middle-High School, a lecturer at Bridgewater State University and a special education teacher at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School. He holds a Master of Education from Bridgewater State University and a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Communications with a Minor in English from Saint Joseph’s College.
“I am absolutely thrilled to work alongside Mr. Thomas as the new assistant principal at Sippican Elementary. His exceptional credentials, highlighted during a recent site visit, make it clear that he is highly recommended for our school community,” said new Sippican Elementary School Principal Lynn Dessert. “I look forward to working closely with Mr. Thomas and our dedicated staff to foster a nurturing and inclusive environment. Together, we will collaborate with the entire school community to ignite a passion for learning and create meaningful experiences for all, and we both are committed to supporting every student’s journey toward success.”
“Mr. Thomas is well respected amongst his colleagues for always putting the students and their needs first and is a valued member of the school community,” said School Committee Chairperson April Nye. “He possesses a sense of humor that both staff, students and families appreciate and welcome. We are excited for the new administrative team that has been put together at Sippican School and appreciate all of the time, work and effort that went into this important process and was done by the various stakeholders within our school community.”
“I am so excited to be a part of the Sippican family. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but I’m looking forward to starting. I can’t wait to meet all of the faculty, staff, students and families,” said Thomas. “My first impressions have left me very impressed and happy, and I know I am joining an incredibly special school with an outstanding reputation. I couldn’t be more thrilled.”