BSD Announces EMS Principal Finalists

My name is Phyllis Bellemare and I am honored to be considered for the Principal of Edmunds Middle School.  I look forward to working with the staff, students, parents, and community. I am a graduate of the University of Maine, Orono, University of Phoenix, and Grand Canyon University. I have over twenty years in education with nine of them being in leadership positions. Currently, I am the principal of Cactus Canyon Junior High School in Apache Junction, Arizona.

I started my educational career as a teacher in Maine. Here I taught third and fourth grades. My husband, Greg, and I moved to Arizona in 2007 where I continued to teach elementary and middle school grades. In 2012, we experienced living and working abroad at schools in Guatemala and Nigeria. It was an amazing opportunity, but we truly missed our family and the United States. Upon returning to the States, I returned to Arizona and began my journey as an administrator.

Greg and I currently live in Mesa, Arizona with our two dogs, Comet and Stella. They are more than our dogs; they are our family. We also have five children and nine grandchildren that range in age from three years to 21 years. Two of our children (and four grandchildren) live in New England. We are excited to be moving back so we can be closer to them.

When I am not at school, I take time to enjoy playing golf, hiking, kayaking, or just being outdoors. I love the look and feel of the desert, but I miss the green and lushness of New England. I also enjoy gardening, painting, sewing, crafting, and much more. I am looking forward to being back where I can garden, enjoy the snow, and have four seasons again.

My name is John Oliver, and I am currently serving as the Interim Principal of Edmunds Middle School.

I love middle school! My mother was a middle school teacher. My wife Dana was a middle school teacher before her current role at the Community College of Vermont. My first job in education was in a middle school. There is something so special about this age, as they become who they are.

I came to Vermont to attend Middlebury College, and have made my home here ever since. After graduating from Middlebury, I worked as a Special Education Paraeducator at Middlebury Union Middle School. I was also the Boys Soccer Coach. The relationships I built with students and colleagues during that time at MUMS were transformative. I have dedicated my professional life to education ever since.

I moved to Burlington and spent 16 of the next 17 years working at Centerpoint School, an independent, alternative, therapeutic school serving grades 7-12. Centerpoint specialized in serving students who experienced trauma, poverty, and other forms of systemic marginalization. At Centerpoint, I primarily taught English, Literacy, Humanities, and Life Skills, though I also taught Art, PE, and Math over the years. Working with students who struggled to engage in school honed my pedagogy and my craft. I became a House leader, case managing students, training and supervising teachers, designing academic and behavioral programs, and running the operations of the school, before becoming a Director there in 2019.

I also spent a year in Detroit, Michigan where I taught Middle School English and US History, High School English and US History, and created a program called Connected Learning, similar to the YPAR classes taught at EMS, where students identified problems in their community and collaboratively developed and implemented solutions at a school for neurodiverse learners called Eton Academy.

As a leader, I am dedicated to advancing antiracist practices and deconstructing the pervasive impacts of white supremacy culture. That means we need to build new culture in its place. Part of my work at Centerpoint included Consultation, Training, and Technical Assistance services where we advised other institutions on their own organizational change processes. I have been excited to bring this experience and expertise to Edmunds Middle School.

I love this school, its students, and this community. I have dedicated myself to their service. I live here in Burlington with my wife and two children, who both attend Burlington schools. We have a wonderful community here. This is my home. EMS and BSD are where I want to be. Our kids are becoming who they are. So is our community. When we lean in, we get to be a part of that becoming.

My name is Mark Titsworth, and I am currently in my third year as the middle school principal at Northridge Middle School in Van Buren, Arkansas. Prior to this role, I served as the assistant principal at Northridge for four years, and my journey in education began as a seventh-grade middle school literacy classroom teacher in Greenwood, Arkansas.

I earned my educational specialist degree and master’s degree in educational leadership from Arkansas State University.  My commitment to middle-level education led me to graduate from the University of Central Arkansas with a bachelor of science in education.

My wife Audra has dedicated over 15 years to the field of education and currently serves as a special education consultant for the Van Buren School District. Together, we have two wonderful daughters: Junie, who is nine years old, and Winnie, who will be starting kindergarten in the upcoming school year.

As a middle school building leader, I strongly believe that the foundation for a successful learning environment lies in fostering a positive school culture and giving thoughtful consideration to the needs of every individual student, staff member, and parent. I am genuinely excited to connect with the Edmunds Middle School family and the individuals who contribute to making this community truly special.