Schools

New Mill Pond Principal Has 'Always Loved Working With Children'

Suzanne Kenny comes to Westborough after six years as a vice principal at Natick's Wilson Middle School.

When Suzanne Kenny searched for her first principal job, "Westborough stuck out as a great community, one that really supports education."

Wednesday, the Mill Pond School's new principal begins her first academic year here.

Kenny comes to Westborough after six years as a vice principal at Natick's Wilson Middle School. She succeeds Reene Hatherley, who retired this summer, ending just over 33 years in education, all but four in the Westborough schools, the last 13 as Mill Pond principal.

"Mill Pond in particular is a school that has a great reputation for a tremendous staff, tremendous family involvement. I'm particularly interested in that it's a National School of Character and there's such an emphasis on character development here," Kenny said.

Kenny also likes Westborough's diversity.

"I think it creates a rich experience for everyone if you're working with and learning with people from all different backgrounds," she said.

Kenny grew up in Yonkers, N.Y.

"I always loved working with children. As a teenager, I was a lifeguard and a swim instructor," she said.

However, "in college, I did not study education," instead earning her bachelor's degrees in English and sociology, both at Boston College.

There, she volunteered at "a residential home for teenage girls" and at "an alternative middle school/high school for students with emotional and behavioral challenges," Kenny said.

Kenny said that "when I was first out of college," she worked with teenagers at "an alternative high school for students who were not successful at their sending high schools."

Kenny said she also worked in the municipal bond industry for 10 years.

"I did a complete change. At that time in Massachusetts, they just had Proposition 2 1/2," resulting in a number of teacher layoffs, she said.

Her job included training financial advisors.

"It really rekindled my desire to be a teacher. I really thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of my job, and I was missing working with young people," Kenny said.

Kenny said she then left that world, and earned her master's degree in special education from Simmons College.

She spent nine years as a teacher and then vice principal at Newton's Oak Hill Middle School before coming to Natick in 2007.

Kenny said she applied for the Mill Pond principal job because "I just felt like I've had great experience, great training, (and) was really ready to take on the role as principal."

"Examining our practices" will be among Kenny's tasks at Mill Pond, she said.

"Schools have to continue examining themselves. Because what you do today doesn't necessarily work tomorrow," she said.

"It's a fast-changing world. Education has to keep up with it."

She was "very involved" in her Natick school's peer leadership program, in which seventh and eighth graders trained to be school leaders.

"It was initially developed to support our anti-bullying program at the school. Then it went beyond that to help kids learn how to recognize and appreciate the diversity of our school community, and how to help one another make sure we're treating each other with kindness."

"I know here at Mill Pond, the students have had opportunities to do different kinds of leadership. The sixth-graders will lead tours for the younger students. But I'm certainly looking to see if there are ways we can broaden leadership opportunities for our students."


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