PMHS students and families were welcomed back to school after the holidays to a big surprise, as Assistant Principal Judd Rothstein announced his resignation as of the end of the current school year. On January 6, through a statement released by Superintendent Champ, the community learned of Mr. Rothstein’s plan to leave PMHS this June after serving the district since 2015. With Principal Clark having already announced her retirement after the end of this school year, PMHS will be in the unique position of losing its top two administrators at the same time.

Before coming to PMHS, Rothstein worked at Rye High school as a Social Studies teacher for 11 years. He attended Colgate University for his undergraduate education, then moved on to study at Columbia University Teacher’s College.

Once the 2020 school year wraps up, Mr. Rothstein is going to be working at his old summer camp, Camp Winaukee in New Hampshire, as a part of the leadership team there. He spent 25 summers of his life at Camp Winaukee and his son now attends as well.

Rothstein has already finalized his plans when Principal Clark announced her retirement, but is “…not worried about the future of PMHS. We have an amazing staff, student body and community. Our school is built on strong student engagement, rich traditions, and a caring, dedicated faculty and staff. This will not change at all with a new administration.”

As for the Squads program that is in its pilot year and took years to design with students, he says the plan is to continue the program after his departure. He is proud of everyone’s hard work and dedication to the program as it serves a very valuable role in our school. In addition, Assistant Principal Rothstein is most proud to have worked very hard to create an environment and an atmosphere that was conducive to having fun, building relationships, and feeling supported.

“I am really going to miss Mr. Rothstein’s morning announcements every day. He always set the tone for my day, putting a smile on my face,” junior Alex Orlando said.

Rothstein said, “I will miss just about everything I do on a daily basis: greeting everyone with a ‘Goooooooooooooooood morning Pelican Nation,’ observing students and staff in action in the classroom, ensuring that everyone stays safe and healthy, and, of course, wearing my PMHS sneakers every Friday! Thank you to all the students, families and staff for an amazing five years! Remember: your voice matters!”