School district appointments effective July 1

As of July 1, Historic City News in St Augustine has received word that several personnel changes and appointments will take place within the St Johns County School District, according to an announcement from Superintendent, Dr Joseph Joyner.

“I look forward to working with the following individuals, and I am extremely confident in their skills and abilities,” said Superintendent Dr. Joseph Joyner. “They all possess a high caliber of passion. I applaud them for taking on these new challenges and continuing to grow in their careers.”

Judith Thayer, assistant principal of Liberty Pines Academy, has been named the new principal of Liberty Pines Academy. Thayer possesses more than 16 years of experience with the St Johns County School District and has served as an assistant principal, Exceptional Student Education program coordinator for students with learning disabilities and those who are gifted as well as a teacher at Landrum Middle School. She has a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and a master’s degree from Western Michigan University.
Thayer replaces Randy Kelley who will assume the position of Principal on Assignment at the St Johns County School District office. In his new role, Kelley will oversee the implementation of the new administrative evaluation process and serve as the liaison for the Florida School Leader Assessment System as well as a coach to current school leaders.

Tina Waldrop, assistant principal and turnaround specialist at St Johns Technical High School, has been named the new principal of Osceola Elementary. Waldrop has been with the St Johns County School District for more than 25 years and has worked in a number of schools within the district as an assistant principal, Exceptional Student Education teacher, and a behavior and program specialist. She holds a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from the University of North Florida.

Waldrop replaces Nancy Little who is retiring as principal of Osceola Elementary in June after 35 years of service within the St Johns County School District.

Greg Bergamasco, assistant principal at Ponte Vedra High School, has been named the new principal of Gamble Rogers Middle School. Bergamasco has been an assistant principal at Ponte Vedra High School since 2009 and was responsible for training and integrating SnapShot — a student performance data analysis program that extracts, manages and organizes student performance data, throughout the district. He has worked as a guidance counselor and special education teacher in Broward County and an assistant principal in Lee County. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, as well as a master’s degree and Educational Specialist degree both from Nova Southeastern University.

Bergamasco replaces Beverly Gordon who is retiring as principal of Gamble Rogers Middle School in August after 39 years of service within the St Johns County School District.

Cathy Hutchins, principal at Timberlin Creek Elementary School, has been named the new principal of South Woods Elementary School. Hutchins has been employed in the educational field since 1982. She previously served as assistant principal and principal at Cunningham Creek Elementary, spent eight years teaching elementary school and six years serving as the facilitator of The Webster School, a Florida Model Technology School. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Nazareth College and two master’s degrees, one from SUNY of Geneseo and the other from the University of North Florida.

Hutchins replaces Brian McElhone, principal of South Woods Elementary School, who will become the Coordinator of District Assessment Development and Elementary Social Studies — a currently vacant position.

Amanda Riedl, principal of Ravenwood School for North Kansas City Schools, has been named the new principal of Mill Creek Elementary School. Riedl has been with North Kansas City Schools since 1999 and has served as a teacher, athletic director and assistant principal. Since 2006, she has been the principal at Ravenwood School where she has managed a safe and respectful school environment for more than 400 students. She has placed an emphasis on exceling in math and communication arts in state assessments and has shown learning gains within her student population during her tenure. Riedl holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida as well as a master’s degree and an Educational Specialist degree from the University of Missouri.

Riedl replaces Mary Ford who is retiring as principal of Mill Creek Elementary School in October after 35 years of service within the St Johns County School District.

More personnel changes and appointments are expected in the coming weeks to meet both increased internal and external needs throughout the district.