LA PLATA, Md. – Superintendent Kimberly Hill announced the appointment of three new school principals, six vice principal appointments and six vice principal transfers. Schools affected by principal changes are Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School, Piccowaxen Middle School and Maurice J. McDonough High School. The Superintendent did not recommend any principal transfers for the upcoming school year.
New principal appointments are:
• Shannon Finnegan, vice principal at Higdon, will move to the principal position at the school. She is replacing Principal Kathy Morgan who is retiring at the end of the 2020-21 school year.
• Wualanda Thenstead will be principal at Piccowaxen. Ms. Thenstead is a vice principal at Milton M. Somers Middle School and she is replacing Principal Wendell Martin who retired from CCPS in March.
• Darnell Lewis-Russell will be principal at McDonough. Lewis-Russell is currently a vice principal at Henry E. Lackey High School, and is replacing Steven Roberts who is now serving as director of accountability for Charles County Public Schools.
Vice principal appointments include:
• Kayla Hawkins, instructional lead teacher with Prince George’s County Public Schools, to vice principal at Billingsley Elementary School.
• Jessika Washington, an instructional resource teacher at the F.B. Gwynn Educational Center, to vice principal at Gwynn.
• Sonia Matthew, an administrative assistant at Somers Middle School, to vice principal at General Smallwood Middle School.
• Cory Underwood, an administrative assistant at St. Charles High School, to vice principal at La Plata High School.
• Tavon Myers, school resource teacher at Westlake High School, to vice principal at Henry E. Lackey High School.
• Tyler Miller, administrative intern at Matthew Henson Middle School, to vice principal at John Hanson Middle School.
Vice principal transfers include:
• Michael Hoffman, from vice principal at Billingsley Elementary School to vice principal at J.P. Ryon Elementary School.
• Bradley Buzby, from vice principal at Arthur Middleton Elementary School to vice principal at Higdon.
• Scott Hangey, from vice principal at Ryon to vice principal at Malcolm Elementary School.
• Patricia Mooring, from vice principal at Malcolm to Arthur Middleton Elementary School.
• Matthew Newcamp, from vice principal at General Smallwood Middle School to vice principal at Somers Middle School.
• Ethel Hosendorf, from vice principal at John Hanson Middle School to vice principal at Theodore G. Davis Middle School.
All new assignments take effect July 1.