Five Methuen Public School principal offices are occupied by new leaders this September. Two are new to the district and three have previous experience working in our schools.
Here’s a brief introduction to each of them.
CGS LOWER SCHOOL
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
CAITLIN BURKE
Previous education roles: I worked in Lawrence Public Schools for 12 years, beginning as a teacher. I then served as an instructional coach and later as an assistant principal. After that, I spent two years as an assistant principal in the Pentucket Regional School District.
Family/pets: I have two daughters, Reese, who is 4, and Elle, who is 3. We don’t have any pets right now, but they ask almost every day for a puppy and they’ve already named him Hot Dog!
Your favorite subject or teacher when you were a kid and why: My two favorite teachers were Ms. Fleming and Ms. Iannalfo. They both had a way of making learning fun and creating classrooms where you actually wanted to be. They built such strong relationships with their students and they truly cared about us.
Your Summer 2026 highlight: Spending lots of time with my two girls and making the most of our summer together.
What are your hobbies and/or something unique about you? Something unique about me is that I actually went to CGS from kindergarten through 8th grade before attending Methuen High School. It makes it extra special to now be back at CGS as a staff member.
What do you love most about working in schools? I love working with both teachers and students and helping make school a fun, welcoming place where everyone feels excited to learn and be part of the community.
As the new year gets underway, what’s your message to students and parents/guardians at your school? My message to families is that their students will always come first. Every decision I make will be grounded in what is best for them. I want every student to feel cared for, supported, and confident in their ability to succeed. I’m so excited to get to know our students and families and work together to make it a wonderful year!
CGS INTERIM
SUPERVISING PRINCIPAL
JAMES FRIER
Previous education roles: I began my career in higher education at NYU, Texas Tech, and Northeastern. Since then I have served as a teacher, dean of students, director of ESL, director of operations, and principal all in schools in the Greater Boston area as well as New Hampshire.
Family/pets: I am a proud dad of two children, Mikey and Madelina, and my family has called Methuen home since 2019. We also now have a Betta fish, affectionately named Little Blue Moon, by my daughter.
Your favorite subject or teacher when you were a kid and why: I always loved English. I loved the way reading and writing gives you a chance to immerse yourself and understand other people, explore different perspectives, and make sense of the world around you.
Your Summer 2026 highlight: Honestly, joining the CGS community and having the opportunity to serve as a principal in the same community my family calls home. There is something especially meaningful about getting to do the work I love in a place that is also personally important to me.
What are your hobbies and/or something unique about you? I’m really into fitness and spend a lot of time at the gym. Most of my time outside of work, though, is centered around being a dad and spending time with my kids.
What do you love most about working in schools? The people. Schools are one of the few places where you get to see growth happening all around you every day. I love being in classrooms, talking with students, working alongside teachers and staff, and building relationships with families. There is something pretty special about a group of adults coming together around the shared responsibility of helping young people grow.
As the new year gets underway, what’s your message to students and parents/guardians at your school? My message is that we are in this together. I’m coming into a school community that already has a lot to be proud of, with strong traditions, dedicated staff, and families who care deeply about CGS. My job is not to come in and reinvent what is already working well. It is to listen, learn, build on those strengths, and help us keep getting better together.
I want every student to feel known, supported, challenged, and proud to be part of CGS, and I want families to know that their voice and partnership matter. We are going to have high expectations for our students while also making sure they know there are adults here who care deeply about them. I’m excited to be part of this community and to work alongside our students, staff, and families to make a great school even stronger.
TENNEY INTERIM
SUPERVISING PRINCIPAL
GLENDA L. JAVIER
Previous education roles: MHS associate principal (6 years), MHS chemistry teacher (8 years), chemistry teacher at Lawrence High School (15 years).
Family: Happily married to my husband of 28 years and we have 3 beautiful boys, two of which graduated from MHS!!
Your favorite subject or teacher when you were a kid and why: My favorite subject in high school was chemistry but in grammar school, I just loved school in general! My favorite teacher of all time was Gary Marcoux (my high school science teacher and mentor to this day)! He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.
Your Summer 2026 highlight: The highlight of my summer was a family trip I made to Madrid! I love traveling and getting to know this beautiful world we live in. But most of all, I love experiencing other cultures … especially the food!!
What are your hobbies and/or something unique about you? Something others may not know about me is that I grew up right next door, in Lawrence, surrounded by two amazing cultures that shaped who I am. Navigating two languages and two cultures enriched my life in ways that I am still discovering to this day.
What do you love most about working in schools? I love seeing growth in students. That “aha” moment when information has clicked is what fills my cup! But I also love seeing students grow beyond academics — gaining confidence, discovering their strengths, and accomplishing things they may not have thought were possible. Being able to play even a small part in that growth is incredibly rewarding.
As the new year gets underway, what’s your message to students and parents/guardians at your school? As we begin this new school year, I want our students and families to know that we are in this together. Parents and guardians entrust us every day with their most precious treasures — their children — and I recognize the responsibility and trust that comes with that. I want to honor that trust by working alongside our families because, as partners, we are stronger.
And to our students: I want you to know that I believe in you. I can’t wait to see you learn, grow, discover your strengths, and shine like the rockstars you are! This is going to be a great year, and I am so excited to be part of it with all of you.
MARSH LOWER SCHOOL
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
COURTNEY SELIMA
Previous education roles: For the past two years I was the assistant principal and special education facilitator at Peter Woodbury School in Bedford, NH; prior to that I worked at the Tenney here in Methuen for 10 years – 7 years as a classroom teacher and 3 years as the humanities supervisor.
Family/pets: I live in Southern, NH with my husband, David, two children Dakota and Clayton, and our dog Peaches.
Your favorite subject or teacher when you were a kid and why: My favorite teacher was my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. DiSalvo. She brought learning to life and inspired me to want to become a teacher when I grew up.
Your Summer 2026 highlight: I have loved getting to spend time with my family this summer – we did a quick trip up north to Santa’s Village and Polar Caves which was a blast.
What are your hobbies and/or something unique about you? I am an avid reader and very passionate about helping support all of our students in learning how to read.
What do you love most about working in schools? The students! They make every day unique, have the best stories, and make me excited to come to work each day.
As the new year gets underway, what’s your message to students and parents/guardians at your school? I look forward to partnering with families to support each student on their educational journey. I want our school to be a place where each student feels safe, valued, and excited to come learn each day.
METHUEN HIGH INTERIM
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
(GR. 12) KRISTEN THOMAS
Previous education roles: mathematics teacher, Burlington High School (3 years); 11 years associate principal, Methuen High School.
Your favorite subject or teacher when you were a kid and why: As a student I enjoyed all art classes.
Your Summer 2026 highlight: At our annual family vacation to York Beach, my son caught a 44-inch Striped Bass and my daughter broke her arcade ticket total.
What are your hobbies and/or something unique about you? I love to golf, coach hockey and paint.
What do you love most about working in schools? I love to support students in the moment they need it most, seeing their growth over the years and celebrating their achievements in all areas of their lives. Of course too, I enjoy working with my colleagues. They are simply the BEST!
As the new year gets underway, what’s your message to students and parents/guardians at your school? Seniors, your active participation in our school community will shape our school culture. Attend as many events as possible, congratulate your classmates in their accomplishments and enjoy your final year in Methuen.
CAITLIN BURKE
JAMES FRIER
GLENDA L. JAVIER
COURTNEY SELIMA
KRISTEN THOMAS
