LYNNFIELD — Lynnfield Community Schools (LCS) has a new director.
Sarah Perkins, a Peabody resident, comes into the position on the heels of five years as the district’s K-12 digital learning coach. She is succeeding Michaelann Herook, who is resigning at the end of June after spending 20 years on the LCS staff, the last eight as director.
“I’ve been working towards a masters in administration and as I was going through my practicum, I started to think more and more about the director position,” said Perkins. “I saw it posted and got really excited about it. In my current job, I love how much I can work with the community, but this just presents a great chance to shift into more of a leadership role in an area I am passionate about and have a comfort level with. It’s just so exciting.”
LCS offers before and after school programs, as well as many activities for students throughout the year, including the popular Lynnfield Summer of Fun Activities (SOFA) program.
Perkins is no stranger to LCS, having served as assistant musical director under Joe Puleo since 2015 and also as a SOFA camp leader from 2018-2019. She said she will lean on that experience as she moves forward as director.
“I know that if I need help or guidance, I will do the same thing as I do now, as I already have established relationships with Lynnfield Community Schools, having worked at SOFA. I’ve been able to really get to know the families and my hope is to continue to grow those relationships,” adding that she expects LCS assistant Katie Darragh will be a key factor in transitioning into the new position.
“Having Katie on board is a huge asset as she is so familiar with the program,” said Perkins.
Lynnfield School Superintendent Jane Tremblay said she is “thrilled” to have Perkins on board.
“She has very creative ideas, attention to details and she knows the goals, mission and vision of our school community,” Tremblay said. “It will be exciting to see how she blends the two worlds.”
Presently, Perkins is busy helping teachers and students close out the academic year, creating model lessons and giving technical support behind the scenes. She credits families and parents for giving her the support she has needed to make the remote learning experience productive.
“With remote learning, there is a lot of vulnerability in the classroom as it’s new to everyone and so there really isn’t a comfort level. So seeing the success we have had in remote learning is so rewarding, as the teachers get the glory for what they are doing in having everyone up and running, so kids can learn from home, at first through enrichment and now with new material.”
Perkins, a Bedford native, graduated from Westfield State College in 2006, majoring in English Literature. She received a masters in Secondary Education from Gordon College in 2012 and is on pace at Gordon College to complete requirements for an Educational Specialist in Administration degree this August. Perkins hopes to complete the requirements for certification as Principal/Assistant Principal for grades K-8 later this month.
Prior to coming to Lynnfield in 2015, Perkins was a seventh grade English and Language Arts teacher at the Wilmington Middle School from 2012-2015. She spent two years as a long-term substitute at the John Glenn Middle School in Bedford from 2011-2012.
Perkins, who starts July 1, will report to Tom Geary, the district’s finance director, She said her first order of business will be, “to “take time to evaluate the current program to make sure we are doing everything we can to meet the needs of the community.”
