• Dr. Palmer
     

    From the Desk of the Superintendent

     

    July 7, 2016

    Dear Parents:

     It is with a great sense of excitement that I communicate with you today in my new role as Superintendent of Schools. The time following my appointment in February through today has flown by, and I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to work very closely with Dr.  Pladus during this transition time. He genuinely went out of his way to ensure a smooth transition for everyone.

     As I reflect on this time, I am reminded of how much the superintendency of a school district resembles a long-distance relay race. Each superintendent on the team is motivated and well trained, understands the importance of teamwork to the overall success of the team, and is committed to go the distance which in our case is to prepare our students with the skills necessary to pursue and achieve their goals and dreams. 

     I am grateful to all who have passed their baton to the next superintendent – from Dr. Slick, Dr. Parker, Dr. Rubeis, Dr. Noonan, and, of course, most recently Dr. Pladus who passed the baton to me on July 1st.   Their leadership and vision have shaped the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District into one that is truly outstanding and one with a long-standing reputation of excellence.

     This interim time has also provided for a period of reintroduction. I have been fortunate to have met many of you during the past five years in my role as Business Administrator, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of reconnecting with you at the various activities this spring. I look forward to meeting the rest of you this summer or during the upcoming school year. 

     As I look toward the future, I know there will be some considerable challenges ahead for us, particularly in the area of finance. I’m confident that we in the Wallingford-Swarthmore Community – our talented students; our dedicated faculty, staff and administration; our extraordinarily supportive parents; and dedicated School Board members – will combine our talents to “reimagine” our educational program without sacrificing excellence nor losing the qualities that make a WSSD education so special. 

     All of us at WSSD hope you have a wonderful, relaxing summer, and we want you to know that we are already hard at work preparing for the start of another exciting school year.

    Best regards,

    Lisa A. Palmer, Ed.D.
    Superintendent of Schools