Patricia Clem became principal of Hampshire Regional High School, a 7-12 school, in 2008 prior to her retirement in 2011. At Hampshire she worked with staff to introduce their first Advisory program. She also served as principal of Granite Valley Middle School in Monson where she created the town's first middle school program by successfully combining an elementary and a secondary staff. The New England League of Middle Schools designated Granite Valley as a Spotlight School. Mrs. Clem broke tradition by becoming the first female principal of Powder Mill Middle School in Southwick. She continued to break tradition by introducing innovative techniques, such as a multi-age/multi-year curriculum, in which seventh and eighth graders are divided into three teams of 50 students from each grade level. Students stayed on the same team throughout both grades, allowing teachers to remain familiar with their students' individual strengths and weaknesses. In her Advisory Program, students meet weekly in small groups to discuss personal and academic issues with a teacher advisor. Mrs. Clem also boosted the achievement of several of her special needs students by including them in the regular classroom.
1974 Westfield State College, B.A., Westfield State College, M.A. Administration
