New Principal Named In Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT — Frank Jawidzik has been named the new principal at Dag Hammarskjöld Middle School in Wallingford, officials announced Friday.

The Wallingford Board of Education approved Jawidzik’s appointment at its meeting on Thursday night.

Jawidzik succeeds Todd Snyder, who was appointed as the Wallingford Public School District’s Curriculum Coordinator for Fine Arts and World Languages earlier this month.

Jawidzik, a Southington resident, is a veteran middle school administrator and teacher, serving his entire professional career working in middle school, according to Superintendent of Schools Danielle Bellizzi.

He was a teacher at Dodd Middle School in Cheshire, an assistant principal at City Hill Middle School in Naugatuck, and most recently has served as middle school administrator at Schaghticoke Middle School in New Milford.

“Staff and colleagues who have worked with Mr. Jawidzik remarked on his energy and enthusiasm for middle school students, his leadership with staff, and his welcoming presence for families,” Bellizzi wrote in a message to the school community. “’Frank Jawidzik is the most complete educator and leader I have ever worked with,’ noted an administrative colleague. Another colleague shared her thoughts about Mr. Jawidzik’s leadership, ‘In collaboration with the leadership team, Mr. Jawidzik oversaw the instructional shift necessary to implement high-quality learning experiences in the classroom. Mr. Jawidzik brings a wealth of knowledge to the professional learning community. He has worked with the leadership team to adapt his professional learning approach to use the ‘group to move the group’ showcasing teacher strengths. He has also become adept at employing a distributive leadership model.’”

Bellizzi said Jawidzik is honored and excited to join the Dag Hammarskjöld community.

“I sincerely appreciate this opportunity to become a member of the Wallingford community,” Jawidzik said in the message. “I look forward to working together to achieve our mission at Dag to inspire, educate, and support all students as they discover and pursue their best.

“I believe that a successful school is the result of the dedication and collaboration of all community members, and I cannot wait to immerse myself in the Wallingford community to partner with our staff and families in support of the social, emotional, and academic achievement of all of our learners.”

Jawidzik’s official start date will be announced shortly, according to Bellizzi.