Meet Groton High School’s new principal

After taking on the role of high school principal, in addition to her position as the superintendent, for the last two months of the school year, Margo Martin was delighted to welcome Groton Jr./Sr. High School’s (GHS) new principal, Brian Kavanagh, on July 1.

Kavanagh comes to GHS with a wealth of experience as a teacher and an administrator, along with valuable life lessons learned as a three-sport athlete during his own high school years and as a tank loader in the United States Marine Corps.

Having grown up in the Syracuse area, Kavanagh attended Henninger High School, where he played basketball and lacrosse and ran cross-country. He graduated from there in 1987 and continued playing lacrosse at Le Moyne College, where he earned his bachelor’s in history in 1992.

It took Kavanagh five years before he could graduate from Le Moyne, as his senior year was interrupted by a trip to Kuwait. In his freshman year of college, Kavanagh decided he wanted a challenge, so he chose to enlist in the Marine Corps Reserve.

“I chose the Marines because I was so enamored with the Marines’ story because I studied it as a history major,” Kavanagh said.

Thus, the summer of 1989 found Kavanagh at boot camp at Parris Island and the following summer at Fort Knox attending tank school.

“I really wanted to go infantry, but the recruiter wanted me to go to tank school, so that’s where I went,” he said. “One week before tank school graduation, Hussein invaded Kuwait. I had started my senior year at Le Moyne, but I got called up to head there.”

Kavanagh was a tank loader on an M60 A-1 tank in the Bravo Co. 8th Tank Battalion, which entailed all the maintenance, loading and operation of the machine guns on his tank. He was there for almost seven months.

“We basically lived in a hole next to the tank,” Kavanagh said. “It was 99% boredom and 1% sheer terror. I got back in mid-May of 1991, so I started my senior year again at Le Moyne that September.”

In his junior year of college, Kavanagh met Mary, the woman who has been his wife since June 1991. They met at Le Moyne when Mary was a senior. She worked as an assistant manager at the Syracuse Postal Credit Union while Brian was in Kuwait, and they were married as soon as he returned.

In September 1992, Brian was hired as a T.A. sub for the Syracuse City Schools but was almost immediately sent to Lincoln Middle School to teach social studies. He continued teaching at other middle schools for the next seven years, while simultaneously attending SUNY Oswego nights and summers until he earned his master’s and his certification of advanced study in 1995 and 1999, respectively.

Brian became the vice principal at Ray Middle School in January 2000 and then principal of Westmoreland Middle School in September 2002.

After 10 years at Westmoreland, Brian was asked to become the director of student services for the entire district, which he did until an opportunity opened up for him to become the assistant superintendent for instruction at the Oneida City School District.

Brian was at Oneida for three years, then became the executive director of education and personnel at the Oswego City School District and then an administrator for special and alternative education at the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES.

In the meantime, Brian and Mary added their five children to the family: Jack, Sarah, Michael, Kate and Megan, who range in age from 23 down to 12 and who all attended or currently attend schools in the East Syracuse-Minoa School District.

While Brian enjoyed his various positions in administration, he said he “just wanted to be a principal again,” so he began “doing some research.” He said the highlight of his career was when he was the principal at Westmoreland, and he longed for that same satisfaction again.

“I just want to be helpful and be happy,” Brian said. “And Groton’s similarities to Westmoreland drew me to apply.”

Brian was also drawn to Groton when he saw the STEAM facility and the opportunities for students to earn dual credit and associates degrees while in high school.

“The facilities here are gorgeous, and I also know firsthand what it’s like to have three kids in college at once,” Brian said. “What Groton offers to kids is incredible, and I want to be a part of it. This stuff is the future, and it’s already happening here in Groton.”

Brian has his top three priorities written on the whiteboard in his office: Safety and security; teaching, learning and assessment; and everything else.

His vision is to ensure that GHS is a student-centered school and that “the decisions we make will be based on what’s best for kids academically, socially and emotionally.”

Brian hasn’t had much chance to see the community yet, but he said it reminds him of other rural and suburban districts he has seen and looks forward to “being involved in the things that go on here.”

Groton on the Inside appears weekly. Submit news ideas to Linda Competillo, lmc10@cornell.edu or 607-227-4922. 

In brief: 
 
Library news

The Groton Public Library Board of Trustees meetings are being held back in the library. The next one is at 5:30 p.m. July 15. The meetings are open, and the public is welcome to attend. The monthly book club is on hiatus until September.

Sign up at the library for “Tales and Tails Summer Reading” so you can win free books and play. Giant Wall Board Game and READsquared are back by popular demand. “Kid Time” in the beautiful new great room with Aiden, Luke and Braedy happens from 3 to 5 p.m. every Monday through Friday with movies, games, field trips and so much more.

Groton Story Walk 

The Groton Story Walk has been updated for summer. “Max and the Tag-Along Moon” by Floyd Cooper is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book about the bond between grandfather and grandson. Go check it out at the story walk trail behind Groton Memorial Park this summer.

Scam alert 

A message from Tompkins County Sheriff Derek R. Osborne: “We have received multiple calls that someone is identifying themselves as members of the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office. People are being advised that they missed Grand Jury and in order to not be arrested, they must pay $1,500 as soon as possible. The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office would never contact a person for missing Grand Jury or solicit money by phone. Please do not send money to these people or give them any financial information.”