On November 16, Albany Community School’s former principal Kelly MacMartin resigned. She resigned, according to her resignation letter, because it was not a good fit. She also says in the letter, “Most importantly, I look forward to spending more time with my family.” Former Principal MacMartin was hired July of  2021, and this was her first year in the position of a principal.

After MacMartin’s resignation, the district asked one of the teachers at Albany School to become the interim principal. The interim Principal is Jessica Thomas, with extra support from Larry Fleigelman as Co-Principal. Larry Fliegelman, who currently is the principal at Browington School, says he wants the staff to feel less stress and the students to work hard. Overall, Mr. Fliegelman and Miss Thomas have been helping to keep the school running amidst a transition that is inherently challenging, due to the abruptness and timing of the situation. According to Miss Thomas, they are working on rebuilding the community through fun and engaging activities while also solidifying the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) approach that have previously worked within the school. 

Miss Thomas says she started teaching because she loves spending time with kids and finds it truly rewarding to see the impact of her teaching on students. In her words: “I love spending time with kids as they are so genuine, honest and they bring many laughs.” She also enjoys the problem solving that comes with teaching. In 2012, she began her teaching career in a rural Alaskan village called Kalskag. She taught there for three years before coming to Albany, VT. After a year, she returned to southern New Hampshire, where she taught for two years before joining Albany School. This is Miss Thomas’ tenth year teaching. When she is not teaching, you will find her in the mountains or outside skiing, biking, hiking, and spending time with her dog Ella. 

Miss Thomas envisons Albany being “a positive community where everyone can reach their full potential, where all students’ needs are being met, and all kids feel safe.”