On Tuesday, Superintendent Marini announced that Mr. Youkilis will be the new permanent principal of Driscoll. The PTO Executive Board wanted to follow up on this message, offering our congratulations to Mr. Youkilis and sharing our excitement about what this news means for the Driscoll community as we look ahead into the future.

It seems fitting that this announcement was made as we celebrate National Assistant Principals Week, as Mr. Youkilis has served in that role since 2010, making him one of the most familiar faces around Driscoll. Mr. Youkilis has played a key role in many of our most popular PTO programs over the years, handing out prizes at our annual Science Fair, reading books during the Book Fair and Virtual Storytimes, and even volunteering for the Dunk Tank at the Spring Fair.

This last year has challenged our community on so many levels, as we have dealt with social distancing requirements, virtual teaching, and the cancellation of many of our favorite programs. Mr. Youkilis stepped into the Interim Principal role at a time when we needed someone who was familiar with the needs of our students. His kind demeanor has been a touchstone for parents and teachers this year, and his years of experience with the building have proved invaluable as we have tried to figure out how to adapt a hundred year old building to the current pandemic requirements. He has also been deeply involved in the construction process as we start to build the new Driscoll School. The next couple of years will not always be easy, as we deal with the construction of a new building and the ongoing readjustment as students return to the building. But we sincerely believe we have the right person leading us through this difficult period, and our community will continue to grow stronger with each challenge we face together.

We would also like to thank the parents, educators, and students who were a part of this process, particularly those on the Principal Search Committee. From the initial work done by the Search Committee, to those who joined the small panel discussions, to those who participated in the Zoom meetings with the candidates, we thank everyone for taking the time to make their voice heard.