Great Barrington — Williamstown native Christopher Barnes has been chosen as the new principal for Monument Mountain High School.
According to a press release issued on Monday, June 10 by the Berkshire Hills Regional School District, Barnes, who originally was from Baltimore, Md., moved to Berkshire County in 2011.
Over the past three years, Barnes has served as the principal for Turners Falls High School and Great Falls Regional School, both in Montague. The two schools are combined as one.
“I feel very fortunate to be coming on board at this time,” Barnes is quoted as saying in the press release. “The school has a great history and strong traditions, and it is my intention to begin building relationships with students, staff, and community members right away. I have an open door policy, and I welcome conversations with all of our constituents. I will be working with Superintendent Dillon and the school leadership, which includes the administration and many teachers, to further understand where we are and how we want to move forward. I am very passionate about this work. I love working with students, as they bring immeasurable life and energy to our work. I am excited to meet them, to hear their concerns and ideas, and to build upon the school they love. I plan on reaching out to the community members as soon as I begin, and I welcome them into the school, so that we may begin to get to know each other and to start our work together.”
Barnes is scheduled to start as principal for the school on July 1.
He is replacing Kristi Farina, who announced in April that she would be retiring at the end of the school year
