Archive: Around Town

Lansing Middle School Principal told the Board Of Education monday that he will be retiring after the current school year.  Thomas has served as principal for eight years.  In an emotional announcement he told the Board he does not want his retirement to become a drama that overshadows the remainder off the school year, but says he wants to give the board time to find a qualified replacement.

"My time in Lansing has been wonderful," he says.  "The last eight years have been, by far, the best in my professional life of 35 years.  I'm not done yet.  The most important thing to me is to finish school and to make sure that wee have a wonderful end of the year at the Middle School.  I will not be absent and I will not be using sick days.  None of us coming into school will be doing anything but our very best."

Thomas grew up in Webster, NY, then earned his undergraduate degree at Wooster College in Ohio.  He was awarded a graduate assistantship in anatomy and physiology at Ithaca College, where he also served helped coach the lacrosse team.

He taught biology and physical science at Boynton Middle School and Ithaca High School.  There he served as science department chair, high school varsity lacrosse coach and taught summer school science classes, as well as tutoring math and science and teaching SAT preparation classes.  In 2002 he became Associate Principal of Boynton for the 2002-2003 school year, then Associate Principal at Dewitt Middle School for three years.  He was hired as Lansing Middle Schoo.l principal in 2006.


Thomas says he will not make a formal announcement to students, though he did alert the faculty and staff.

"It's a tough one because I am close to a lot of students," he said.  "But I don't want it to be too dramatic.  They'll know.  They'll hear, and I'll see them in the hallways and the classrooms.  But I don't want to take away from anything that we normally do with that kind of drama."

"We will be celebrating Jamie's successes and retirement for the rest of the year," added Superintendent Chris Pettograsso.  "We knew this was going to be Jamie's last year.  He did not want anybody to think he was not going to be present.  I think the next few months will be the best to come for him."

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