By SANDY McGEE

BLACKSTONE — Several educational leaders will make their first appearance to the Blackstone-Millville Regional School District this fall.

School officials recently welcomed the addition of two new administrators: Gabby Abrams, who will serve as the new principal of the Frederick W. Hartnett Middle School, and Michael Morasse, who will serve as director of student services.
“The addition of these two administrators to the Blackstone-Millville Regional School District will assist the schools in providing the best possible education and services to the students of Blackstone and Millville,” according to a recent press release from school officials. “Their expertise and enthusiasm will be a welcome addition to the BMR administrative team.”
“I am very impressed with the experience, enthusiasm and the vision that they are both bringing with them to the school district,” said new Superintendent of Schools Christine D. Tyrie. “I really look forward to working with them.”
Abrams will replace the middle school’s former and first principal, Kimberly Shaver-Hood, who was elevated to the position of assistant superintendent for the district this past spring.
Shaver-Hood was the first to serve as principal of the new middle school, which opened its doors in August 2003.
Abrams has been an employee of the Marlborough, Mass., school district, since 2004, serving as an eighth grade assistant principal and as director of instructional services for pre-kindergarten to grade 12.
She is a recent graduate of Framingham State College, where she received a master’s degree in education leadership. She has also served as a teacher for eight years, working at the middle school level.
Abrams resides in Ashland, Mass., with her husband and their son.
Morasse, a resident of Providence, will serve as the new director of student services.
A recent graduate of the educational leadership program at Bridgewater State College, Morasse is a certified special education administrator. He is also a graduate of Wheelock College, receiving a master’s degree in special needs education.
He has been an employee of the Northbridge school district, serving as chair of the elementary team, since 2002. He has also served as a district-wide team chair, working with students in pre-kindergarten to age 22. Morasse previously worked as a learning disability specialist for students in grades 7 and 8 in the Dracut, Mass., school district. His new office will be located at the Frederick W. Hartnett Middle School. 
Both Abrams and Morasse will also work with another new administrator in the fall - the district’s new superintendent.
Tyrie, a veteran educator from New Hampshire, was appointed as the district’s new superintendent this past spring.
The interim superintendent, Herbert Levine, was hired last year to serve as head of the school district for one year until a permanent candidate was found. The previous superintendent, Everett B. Campbell, stepped down to become the principal of John F. Kennedy Elementary and Augustine F. Maloney Elementary schools.
Tyrie has served for five years as superintendent of the School Administrative Union (SAU) 24 in Henniker, N.H. SAU 24 represents the combination of four school districts in the Granite State, and presently serves more than 3,000 students.
She previously served as an assistant superintendent for school districts in Plymouth, Mass., and Franklin, N.H. She also has worked as a teacher in both public and private schools in New Hampshire, and taught overseas in Kuwait and Italy.
Tyrie holds a doctorate in education from the University of Sarasota in Florida.
Both the superintendent and assistant superintendent began their new positions on July 1. One of their first responsibilities was selecting the next middle school principal.
The Blackstone-Millville Regional School District consists of one elementary school in Millville, two elementary schools in Blackstone, one regional middle school and one regional high school. The district has a projected enrollment for 2009 of 2,045 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12.