by Mary Jo David

On Aug. 17, the Stockbridge Community Schools district welcomed back staff at its annual Welcome Back Breakfast. By 8 a.m., teachers, administrators, and support staff filled the cafeteria at the Jr./Sr. High School. The agenda included introductions of new staff, years-of-service acknowledgements, recognition of the Helen B. Mitteer Employee of the Year, and the unveiling of the district’s theme for the 2026-27 school year. After an intermission, the program included a presentation by Joe Vercellino from The Lion Heart Experience who created the striking lion painting in the gym during last year.

Who’s who this year

Jeff Trapp opened the day’s program in his new role of superintendent by introducing the three members of the school board who were in attendance: Carrie Graham, Justin Richardson, and Richard Ramalia.

Next, Central Office staff were introduced with a few changes called out by Trapp, including Kim Killinger who has moved into a new role as executive assistant; Carolyn Malinski, who is the new transportation director; and of course, Jeff Trapp as the new superintendent.

All three schools in the district have new principals: Smith Elementary’s Nicole Gray is new to the district, Julie White has moved from Smith to the principalship at Heritage, and Meghan Kunzelmann has moved into Jeff Trapp’s previous role as the principal at the Jr./Sr. High School.

Each principle announced new staff at their schools. Those changes are reflected in the photos accompanying this article.

Promoting consistency through milestone anniversaries

Trapp reiterated that some things have not changed. For example, the district will remain a cellphone-free district for students this year. Now in its second year, since this policy was implemented the schools have seen increases in test scores, positive behaviors, and graduation rates, and a decrease in absenteeism. In addition, the increase in the high school’s AP scores was notable enough to be recognized by the state.

Trapp also announced that his year the district is implementing ParentSquare, a unified messaging platform to connect the entire K-12 school district, and send a consistent message: You belong here!

Consistency is one way to raise the bar academically, and returning teachers and staff help to drive consistency. For the fourth year running, the Staff Welcome Breakfast has been a place for recognizing staff members for their years of service. See accompanying photos for 5, 10, 20, and 25-year recognitions.

When all was said and done, it must be said that, aside from Employee of the Year, the next biggest highlight of the morning was the airing of a music video by school administration. The general feeling was, you haven’t lived until you see Superintendent Trapp in a bright orange tracksuit!

Look elsewhere in this edition of the Stockbridge Community News for coverage, including photos, of the SAEF Employee of the Year award (there’s a surprise!) and a story about the unveiling of this year’s theme for the school year.

Except where indicated, all photos by Julie White.