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01/17/2018 07:30 AMWhen Westbrook Middle School started its school year in the fall of 2017, it did so without a principal in place. In October, the school announced it had hired Taylor Wrye, who has found a supportive and welcoming community in the shoreline town.
“The transition has been amazing,” Taylor says.
Taylor, who was the principle at Williams Middle School in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, prior to coming to Westbrook, says the opportunity to come to Westbrook was “one I just couldn’t pass up.”
“Westbrook is known for its academic excellence, which is a very big thing for me,” Taylor says.
Taylor says he was familiar with the area because his wife, Kaitlin, has family in the area and they spend time in Old Saybrook during the summer.
Taylor says that starting his new job after the school year was “interesting, since the start of the year is where you kick things off.” While he did miss that kickoff, Taylor credits those in the school administration for helping his acclimation to the job to be as easy as possible.
“They did an amazing job making the transition seamless. I feel very fortunate in that regard,” Taylor says.
Taylor proudly says that he has spent his entire career at the middle school level. In addition to his time as a principle, he has been an assistant principal at Dr. Daniel Joyce Middle School in Woburn, Massachusetts, and has been a history teacher for 8th graders as well.
“I consider myself a true middle school person,” Taylor says.
Taylor says that during college he spent time coaching skiing for kids in the 13- to 14-year-old range and saw how fun that age is.
“It’s really a unique time. They’re going through changing from elementary school age to high school,” Taylor says. “They come in as 5th graders, then by time they leave some of them are taller than I am.”
Taylor also has one other simple reason why he enjoys instructing kids at the middle school age: “It’s fun! No day is boring,” he says.
“One of the rewarding things that has happened to me is a former student came told me that they now want to be a teacher,” Taylor says.
Due to only being on the job for three months, Taylor says the hardest aspect of his job is being new and getting to know the community—”figuring out where to go.” However, Taylor also says that due to the school’s size, he is able to get around to knowing all the students, and even their families.
Taylor recalls a recent chorus concert at which he was able to meet and speak with several parents, noting, “The best part of the job is getting to know the kids and the community.”
Westbrook Middle School has approximately 250 students in grades 5 to 8. On its website, the school lists part of its goals as “building relationships with our students to help foster a successful transition from childhood to early adolescence.” As a reflection of this transition period, Taylor says the school is helping to try and get students comfortable with 21st century skills.
“We’re really trying to create an authentic middle school experience with hands-on learning,” Taylor says.
Computer science and digital media skills are among the skills that Taylor wants his students to acquire. As part of that authentic middle school experience, Taylor points to the extracurricular activities.
“One thing I like is having sports teams as part of the school,” Taylor says.
Taylor says that in previous towns, the middle school sports were part of a recreation league.
“The community really supports the extracurricular activity, too,” Taylor says.
Taylor grew up in Lake George, New York, and says the town has comparable demographics to Westbrook.
“My time in Lake George was phenomenal, it’s a small town and close-knit community,” Taylor says.
It was during this time in Lake George that he developed what he calls a “passion for history,” and was inspired to consider education as a career by his 7th grade history teacher. When Taylor began his teaching career, he gravitated toward school-based committees and administrative tasks, which he says started him on his path that eventually led to Westbrook.
As for hobbies, Taylor says he and his wife still spend time in Old Saybrook during the summer. Taylor enjoys skiing, especially at Ski Sundown and Wachusett Mountain. He also says he enjoys spending time with family and friends. Taylor’s family now includes two boys, Charlie and Jack.
“They keep me on my toes,” Taylor says, laughing.