Meet the HKMS Administrator Team
At Helen Keller Middle School we are fortunate to be led by three dedicated, experienced, and caring school leaders.
Our principal, Dr. Steven Clapp, joined the faculty in July of 2021 having worked in ER9 for over 13 years as a Social Studies teacher at JRMS in Redding. Dr. Clapp grew up in the greater Boston area as a proud Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics fan. He learned from these teams how to be a good winner, and a good loser (as all Sox fans are :)). He graduated from Moravian College in 1997 with a BA in Political Science, received a Masters in Education from the University of New Haven in 2000, and earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Southern Connecticut State University in 2013. Following his years at JRMS, Dr. Clapp developed and refined his approach to school leadership as an assistant principal at Saxe Middle School, in New Canaan from 2013-2021.
Mrs. Annie Mohr, our assistant principal, considers HKMS her second home. Not only has her educational career been here at Keller, but she also once walked these halls as a student having grown up in Easton. She began teaching here at Keller in 2000 and taught Spanish to 7th and 8th grade students for 17 years. In 2017, she stepped into the role of assistant principal. Annie graduated from Stonehill College in 2000 with a BA in education and a certification to teach elementary school as well as world language through 12th grade. She received a Masters in Educational Technology from Sacred Heart University in 2005. She then went on to earn a second Masters and 092 certification from Sacred Heart University in educational leadership in 2011.
Ms. Nicole Fenech is the Easton PK-8 supervisor of special education services. Ms. Fenech has been a special education teacher for 15 years and holds additional certifications in applied behavior analysis and Orton Gillingham instructional techniques. Ms. Fenech began her teaching career in an early intervention program at NYU Medical Center after graduating from the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University. From there, Ms. Fenech went on to work for the New York City Department of Education and later for Greenwich Public Schools as both a middle and high school special education teacher and learning facilitator of social-emotional learning programs. From 2017-2021, Ms. Fenech held the position of District Transition/IEP Compliance Coordinator for Stamford Public Schools. Given her passion for secondary transition, Ms. Fenech remains an actively involved member of the Connecticut State Department of Education Transition Taskforce as well as a member of various local committees and executive boards that promote and facilitate the competitive employment and career advancement of individuals with disabilities.
Throughout their experiences, the administration team has developed a set of pervasive beliefs that all students, regardless of ability or circumstance, will thrive academically, socially, and emotionally if intentionally challenged and properly supported. They believe in preparing the student for the pathways ahead bumps and all and helping them to internalize that intentional gratitude leads to happiness. They believe children should pursue their passions, discover their purpose, and give both back to the world. They believe that a successful middle school must be developmentally responsive, individually challenging, where students are empowered to take responsibility for their own learning and actions, which provides and equitable opportunities for all students, and that engages students in relevant learning opportunities (Bishop and Harrison, 2021). These core beliefs underpin the decisions, guidance, coaching, discipline, and the celebrations that inform our instructional, social, and emotional practices. They look forward to working with all HKMS families to ensure that students are engaged, challenged, supported and ultimately fulfilled. Please do not hesitate to reach out to them should you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
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