Dr. Kelly Di Pietro-Edwards’ office resides on the other side of Lewis Road this year, as the Spring-Ford School Board promoted the administrator to the position of 10-12 Building Principal this past summer.

Di Pietro-Edwards, who led the Ninth-Grade Building the past three years, is looking forward to seeing students grow and mature throughout high school. After all, she has been ninth grade principal for each class.

“I’m really excited to be here,” said Di Pietro-Edwards. “I think what was really most exciting to me was that I was the principal at the Ninth-Grade Center for three years. So then transitioning across the street here to the 10-12 Building, this will be the only year where I will have known or interacted with students in all of the grades.”

Di Pietro-Edwards joined Spring-Ford in 2022 as the leader of the Ninth-Grade Center. Prior to that, she was a Spanish teacher at Twin Valley Middle School before moving into an administration role for six years. She is taking over for former principal Robb Colyer, who left the district over the summer.

Although Di Pietro-Edwards began her career as a teacher, administration is where she felt that she could have the most impact.

“I really liked working with teachers,” Di Pietro-Edwards said. “As much as I liked working with students in the classroom, I felt like I could make more of an impact on students by working with them, just in that larger capacity, being able to work with teachers to help them support them.

“I am by no means like a perfect administrator. I wasn’t a perfect teacher, but I think that what’s important is that you go in with an open mind. So I was interested in helping teachers do what they do to the best of their ability.”

Di Pietro-Edwards has a good relationship with teachers from her experience at the Ninth-Grade Center that she has carried across the street to the 10-12 building. Many of the teachers here appreciate her and the things that she does for them.

“I appreciate how Dr. Edwards has made an effort to connect with teachers so far,” English teacher Alicia Buckley said. “She’s held little coffee/tea groups in her conference room after school to give teachers a chance to tell her how they’re doing and what they need. That makes me feel valued and supported”.

This is going to be an exciting adventure for Di Pietro-Edwards, with some big changes moving across the road.