Who's who and who's new in Cranston Public Schools

STONE HILL'S TRICIA TOTOLO: Tricia Totolo received her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary and Special Education from Rhode Island College in 1997 and also has a Master's Degree in Special Education. She had her first teaching job at Western Hills Middle School and Hugh B. Bain Middle School in Cranston before teaching for the next 14 years in Franklin, Massachusetts at Parmenter Elementary School. She finished off her time in Franklin as Head Teacher at Parmenter, a position similar to that of Assistant Principal. For the past four years she has been the principal of Clayville Elementary School in Scituate. "It's a smaller school than Stone Hill School by about 100 less students, with one of every grade," she said. Totolo's own son went through Stone Hill Elementary School and is a seventh-grader now. "This move is a nice one for me because it feels so comfortable. My son grew up here since preschool, so it's new, but it's comfortable," she said. "I have a relationship with a good part of the staff and to me it's very exciting to be part of the community that we've lived in and my son has grown up in, and to now be here in a different role." Tototlo is excited to work with the staff at Stone Hill and to continue to keep the school moving forward in the same positive direction it has been going in.

(Herald photos by Jen Cowart)

GARDEN CITY'S BRYAN BYERLEE: For the past seven years, Bryan Byerlee has been the principal of North Scituate Elementary School. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Rhode Island College and his Masters in School Administration from Providence College. It was the reputation that Cranston has across the state for its wonderful people, teachers and students that drew him to make the move to Cranston from Scituate and to Garden City Elementary School. “I heard so many wonderful things about what a dedicated community of educators here in Cranston,” he said. “They have a reputation for being eager to help kids succeed.” Byerlee was also very excited to take part in the district’s Blended Learning initiatives and its partnership with the Highlander Institute for those initiatives. “It’s important to have all the resources to meet all students’ needs, whether it be through the use of technology or through direct instruction,” he said. “We need to be able to give kids what they need.” Byerlee looks at the coming years with a sense of excitement, and as an opportunity for his own professional growth. “I am a member of the Rhode Island Association of School Principals (RIASP) and through that network, I get to meet a lot of administrators all across the state. There is a level of professionalism here and a level of forward-moving initiatives. There is so much strength here. It’s a big team and it’s a team I can learn from.”

BARROWS' JANET ANTONELLI: Janet Antonelli has returned to Cranston, a place she had made her professional home for more than 25 years before shifting gears and heading to a new district. Now, she is thrilled to be back and is ready to lead the community at Chester Barrows Elementary School. She has a strong science background, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from the University of Rhode Island and a Master’s Degree in Science Education from the University of Rhode Island as well. She was a part of the Principals’ Residency Network (PRN) and received her Administrative Certificate from that program. “The PRN is a Pre-K to 12 program with a focus on equity in the schools and on closing the gaps,” Antonelli said. “I’ve done a lot of curriculum work and I have a very strong interest in social-emotional learning. It’s so important to meet those needs as well as the academic needs of our students. Balancing the needs of academics while developing a love of learning with strong foundational skills in the subject areas is important, as is developing strategies such as persistence.” Antonelli truly loves being in education, and feels that her role as an administrator is to lead to serve. “I really look forward to, and I am honored to serve the students as well as the families and all the stakeholders at Barrows. I really look forward to meeting each of our students.”

The Cranston Herald · Thursday, August 31, 2017 10:01 am

Each year, as a service to our readers, The Cranston Herald provides readers with a listing of the administrators running each of the Cranston Public Schools as well as a quick introduction to any new building administrators. This year there are three new administrators in the schools: Tricia Totolo, Bryan Byerlee and Janet Antonelli at Stone Hill, Garden City and Chester Barrows Elementary Schools, respectively.

Here is the list of all elementary, middle and high school administrators as of the start of the current school year:

Arlington Elementary School: Michelle David Chester Barrows Elementary School: Janet Antonelli William Dutemple Elementary School: Kim Magnelli Eden Park Elementary School: Courtney Sevigny Edgewood Highland Elementary School: Marlene Gamba Garden City Elementary School: Bryan Byerlee Gladstone Street Elementary School: Susan Buonanno Glen Hills Elementary School: Jay DeCristofaro Oak Lawn Elementary School: James Zanfini Orchard Farms Elementary School: Beth Basile George J. Peters Elementary School: Patricia Caporelli Edward S. Rhodes Elementary School: Erica Stackhouse Stadium Elementary School: Cheri Sacco Stone Hill Elementary School: Tricia Totolo Daniel D. Waterman Elementary School: Paul DePalma Woodridge Elementary School: Charlotte Joseph Hope Highlands Middle School: Alex Kanelos Hugh B. Bain Middle School: Jeffrey Taylor Park View Middle School: Michael Crudale Western Hills Middle School: Timothy Vesey

Cranston High School East: Sean Kelly Cranston High School West: Thomas Barbieri New England Laborers’ Cranston Public Schools: Dennis Curran