WELLS — WOCSD Superintendent Jim Daly approved the recommendation of an interview committee and appointed Robert Griffin as the next principal of Wells Junior High School, effective July 6, 2016.

Griffin has been the assistant principal of Wells Junior High for the past four years and acted as interim principal of WJHS for the last eight weeks of the school year. Previously, Griffin was assistant principal of Westbrook Middle School for three years and, two years before that, principal of Sacopee Valley Middle School in Hiram. Griffin began his career in education as an educational technician in 1997 and was a classroom teacher at Noble and Falmouth Middle Schools. He has taught classes at USM, UNE and SMCC. Griffin is president-elect of the Maine Association for Middle Level Education.

Griffin demonstrated the attributes the Wells Junior High community sought – student focused; collaborative leadership style; strong communicator; ability to promote positive school culture and climate and understanding of middle level students.

The search process began on June 1 with a faculty meeting to gather input about the attributes desired in a new principal. Two committees were formed of highly respected teachers, parents, a school commit- tee member and administrators. The selection committee met on June 22 to review applications and selected three candidates to interview. After a round of interviews with highly qualified candidates by a separate committee on June 29, one finalist was forwarded to Superintendent Daly.