SALEM — Students will see a few familiar faces in new offices when they head back to class at Woodbury School and Salem High School today.
With former principal Bill Hagen taking a job as principal of Bedford High School, two administrators were moved around and another one added over the summer.
Maura Palmer, who served as principal at Woodbury School for four years, took on the job of principal at Salem High on July 1.
Palmer has been an administrator with the district since 1997, previously serving as an assistant principal at Woodbury and principal at Soule Elementary School.
At Woodbury. Brad St. Laurent, who was assistant principal there for six years, will take over for Palmer as principal.
Before coming to Salem, St. Laurent taught sixth-grade math and science at Windham Middle School for seven years.
St. Laurent said the position would present him some new opportunities and challenges, but said he does have the benefit of knowing the routine of the school after years in the administration there.
Angela Markley, who was an assistant principal at Moore School in Candia, a kindergarten through eighth-grade school, will take over St. Laurent's old job as assistant principal.
"I was really excited about coming back to a middle school," Markley said.
Before Moore School, where she was assistant principal for one year, she taught middle school math in Hooksett for nine years.
She was hired for the Woodbury job in May.
"That was great, because I came in June for the step-up day for the fifth-graders," she said.
Though most of her career has been in the classroom, Markley said she looks forward to continuing as an administrator.
"It is different, it's very different," Markley said. "But I think I like the challenge. Being a part of the bigger picture of education has been exciting."
St. Laurent said as summer wound down, the staff was eagerly awaiting the return of students to Woodbury.
"We're ready for everybody to come back," he said. "It gets pretty quiet."
