New Principal Named At Westport's Coleytown Middle School

WESTPORT, CT — Dr. Parthena "Penny" Proskinitopoulos, a former assistant principal at Staples High School, has been named the new principal of Coleytown Middle School, effective Wednesday, the district announced.

Considered a talented educator, she has excelled in the area of school leadership, with her career as an educator beginning in 2006 as a middle school social studies teacher with Fairfield Public Schools. She continued in that role until 2014 when she became a Technology Integration Specialist for the Fairfield district, according to officials.

"Dr. Proskinitopoulos has served in an exemplary manner in her role as Assistant Principal at Staples High School," said Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice in a statement. "She has done a remarkable job of establishing strong relationships with faculty, students and families. Her ability to positively impact the school culture is admired in the school community. I believe she is the perfect candidate to lead the Coleytown Middle School community in this next chapter."

From the district's announcement:

During her final year in Fairfield she served as an Interim Assistant Principal at Roger Ludlowe Middle School. In July 2021 Dr. Proskinitopoulos joined the administrative team at Staples High School as an Assistant Principal. Throughout her time at Staples she has demonstrated an unwavering approach to meeting the needs of the students, families and staff. Of particular note is her exemplary work as the administrator in charge of the Response to Intervention program. Dr. Proskinitopoulos leads with empathy, and her strong background in best instructional practices will serve as an asset for the Coleytown Middle School community.

Dr. Proskinitopoulos holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. John’s University and both a Masters of Arts in Teaching and Sixth Year Diploma in Educational Leadership from Sacred Heart University. In addition, she has a Doctorate of Educational Leadership from the University of Bridgeport.

A colleague of Dr. Proskinitopoulos shared, “Simply put, she is one of the finest educators I know. This is because she is smart, passionate about learning and instructional improvement, eager to collaborate, a consummate problem solver, committed to her work, and genuinely thoughtful and kind.” Another colleague wrote, “She has amazing energy when you are around her that every student and staff member should experience.”