In an email this morning, Hopewell Valley Regional School District Superintendent Dr. Thomas Smith announced that Patricia Pinelli will be the new Central High School principal. Pinelli grew up in the Hopewell Valley and remains a Hopewell Township resident.
The former principal, Tana Smith, was promoted to HVRSD Director of Human Resources and Special Projects earlier this year.
Smith’s statement reads as follows:
Dear Hopewell Valley Families,
Earlier this school year I informed you of the appointment of CHS principal, Tana Smith, as Director of Human Resources. Throughout the search for the new principal of CHS, we were guided by a desire to find the right person to lead Central High School. After a thorough search process that included a survey, and the convening of a committee of parents, students, and staff members, we realized that the best person to fill the position is an administrator currently here in Hopewell.
At their meeting on June 15, the Board approved Ms. Patricia Pinelli as the next Principal of Central High School. Ms. Pinelli is an experienced administrator who currently serves as the Assistant Principal of Central High School. Ms. Pinelli is a graduate of Central High School who taught at the high school and middle school levels prior to assuming the role as the District Data Coach and CHS Vice Principal. She resides in Hopewell and is a champion of our district and the equity efforts taking place in our community. These experiences have provided Ms. Pinelli with an excellent foundation and understanding for the complexities of leading a high-performing high school like Central High School.
Ms. Pinelli and I have discussed her vision for Central High School. Building upon the strong foundation established by her predecessors, administration and faculty, she intends to continue with district efforts so that CHS will become the top high school in the state and in the nation. Concurrently, she has affirmed her strong commitment to supporting district equity efforts and to nurturing our students in a holistic manner.
I hope you will join me in welcoming Ms. Pinelli at a meet and greet for parents and students that will be scheduled later this summer.
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Smith, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
[email protected]
