Hillside Assistant Principal Becomes Hamilton Primary Principal

He is moving down in grade, but up in position as Dan Fonder leaves his job as assistant principal at Hillside Intermediate to become principal at Hamilton Primary School.

Fonder, of Scotch Plains, has served since 2007 as the assistant principal of Hillside Intermediate School, and now, with the retirement of Lorraine Lotowycz, he is taking over as principal of Hamilton Primary.

"What I look forward to most is getting to know the students and their families when they begin at Hamilton School as kindergarten students, and building that relationship all the way through the end of fourth grade," Fonder said. "The most gratifying moments for educators come when you recognize a student's growth and see a child move toward achieving his or her potential."

It has been a short road for Fonder as he has climbed the ranks from teacher to assistant principal and principal, beginning with his hiring in 2001 as a fifth grade teacher in the district.

This job, Fonder said, came just after his 2001 graduation from The College of New Jersey with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a concentration in history.

"I am a lifelong New Jersey resident who has had the pleasure of getting to know many different areas in our state," he said, adding that he grew up in Bergen County.

For six years after graduating from the college, Fonder said, he taught fourth, fifth and sixth grade students in Bridgewater, while also working on his Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Farleigh Dickinson University. With that degree in hand, he became assistant principal at Hillside Intermediate School, and has now been in Hamilton Primary since his first day July 14.

"I am extremely excited to have joined the Hamilton School community, and look forward to serving the families of our district in this new role," he said.

Going for the job required the simple procedure of applying for the position once it was posted by the school district in May.

"I applied for the position, went through the district interview process and was appointed by the Board of Education," he said.

And now, through the nine years of his career, Fonder has remained in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District, which he said he enjoys mainly because of the people themselves.

"If I had to focus on one thing, I would definitely say I most enjoy the people who are in our district," he said. "Students, parents, teachers, support staff, Board of Education members and the administrative team all make this district the place to be."

For Fonder, he said he believes that the great thing about the school district is that everyone is focused on one common goal.

"Great things happen when dedicated people, like those in Bridgewater and Raritan, work together for a common goal," he said. "All of the individuals that are a part of our school district are focused on students, and helping each child achieve his or her potential."

But as he moves from working with the fifth and sixth grade students in the intermediate school to the elementary students, Fonder said he believes there should still be one similar approach to dealing with the children.

"There are obvious developmental differences between elementary students and intermediate students," he said. "With that said, the approach is consistent, in that it is a child-centered one that involves doing what is right for the students."

And Fonder said he knows that will be difficult, given the cuts that have had to be made across the district to deal with the lowered state aid and rising costs. The best way to weather the storm, he said, is to continue maintaining a focus on the students and giving them a quality education.

"Schools everywhere are being forced to make extremely difficult decisions, and Bridgewater-Raritan is no exception," he said. "The Hamilton school community is a tremendous one. We will work together to ensure that the children are afforded opportunities to explore their interests and enhance their learning."

In the coming months, Fonder said, there will be changes to the school, much of which will be in line with decisions the district itself has made. For example, he said, the district will be using PowerSchool, a program to manage district information, and the schools will be going green by using electronic tools to communicate with parents.

"These initiatives will streamline many aspects of the school district's operations, and have the potential to make us, as a district, more efficient than ever before," he said. "Within Hamilton School, I will be working with staff and families to identify areas we can improve to enhance learning opportunities."

As a whole, Fonder said, the school will be looking at creative ways of educating the students.

"By fully understanding the changing landscape, we will make informed decisions about how to best serve our students," he said.

With plans for the future, and nine years of experience on his side, Fonder said he is looking forward to the coming year, and is appreciative of the support from members of the Hamilton Primary School community.

"I have had a welcome to the Hamilton School community that is as warm as I could have imagined," he said. "Many staff, parents and students have contacted me to introduce themselves and share their individual words of welcome with me. I appreciate each of those gestures, and look forward to a wonderful year."