As Dartmouth Public Schools prepare to welcome students on September 1, Quinn Elementary’s new principal is welcoming a dream come true.

Dartmouth native Kyle Grandfield attended Potter Elementary, Dartmouth Middle, and Dartmouth High, frequents Sunrise Bakery for linguica rolls, and currently lives in Dartmouth with his wife Kim and 21-month-old daughter Kenley.

“It was a lifelong goal to be an administrator in the town that molded me,” said Grandfield. “I’m very happy and humbled to be here.”

Grandfield started at the K-5 school in July after working as assistant principal, and then principal at Fall River’s Carlton Viveiros Elementary for five years. He had to impress an 11-person committee and host Dartmouth Public Schools Superintendent Bonny Gifford at his Fall River location before securing his new position, but Grandfield said he’s confident in his work because education has been a life calling.

“Many of my teachers and coaches motivated me to give back. I’ve known my whole life that I wanted to go into education,” said Grandfield.

Grandfield was an education major in college—he attended Rhode Island College before graduating from Bridgewater State University—and played as a point guard for basketball teams at both schools.

He’s excelled at mixing his interests, he said. Grandfield started an after-school, co-ed basketball team at Viveiros and grew it to a multi-team league that faced both other districts and each other.

Grandfield said that although Dartmouth is fortunate enough to have after-school programs already in place, he is interested in seeing how he can contribute.

That’s not the only plan he has for Quinn Elementary.

Grandfield said that technology is already very well integrated into the school curriculum, but this year, every classroom teacher will have a smartboard. The souped-up whiteboard is equipped with touchscreen and internet, which makes it that much more interactive than the projectors of yesteryear.

“We’re going to grow technology to engage student learning,” said Grandfield, although all of Dartmouth's principals are looking to increase tech in the schools to align with Gifford’s three-year strategic plan.

Quinn Assistant Principal Stephanie Yermalovich added that parents can expect to see strengthened Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) programming, which focuses more on rewarding students’ good behavior with treats such as gift cards and notes instead of punishing bad behavior.

Yermalovich listed the annual Mix It Up Day and Unity Day as examples. Mix It Up Day allows students a chance to make new friends, try new things (including wearing crazy, mismatched clothes), and even sit somewhere new during lunch so that school officials can make school an inclusive community.

During Unity Day, everyone wears orange and participates in all-day activities. “It’s about teaching tolerance,” said Yermalovich, which also fits into the district’s greater focus on social and emotional health.

Both Grandfield and Yermalovich suggested that parents use the school website as a resource for the 2016-2017 school year, and look in the mail for welcome packets introducing families to their new teachers.

“The first day can be stressful. Getting in a routine right away is better for everyone,” added Grandfield. He suggested easing students into an adjusted sleep schedule and designating time for homework to aid student success.

While Grandfield is looking forward to both meeting students on the first day of school and chicken nugget days in the cafeteria—Yermalovich prefers Domino's Pizza days—he said he will also be hosting a principal meet-and-greet on September 19 at 6 p.m. at the school’s 529 Hawthorne Street location.