BETHEL – Telstar Middle School Principal Russell Tornrose is designing specific goals he hopes will guarantee continued quality education and give the school a greater identity.

Since SAD 44 was established in the 1960s, the middle school has been overshadowed somewhat by the high school, which shares the same building.

“I will be working with the staff to become involved in curriculum development to make our curriculum one that is separate from the high school and is helpful to the kids; a more integrated curriculum that reaches all our students and stimulates a strong learning environment,” Tornrose said Monday.

“To help do this I am working to create a parent advisory council to integrate more with the community and discuss some initiatives in the school. At the same time I plan to work with the student council to give students a chance to express their ideas. Sometimes this is an age when kids become disconnected with school and by working with the council hopefully this can be avoided.”

Tornrose was born in New York City and grew up in Teaneck, N.J., and Eliot, Maine. Moving from Eliot at an early age he completed his secondary education at the Governor Dummer Academy in South Bifield, Mass. After graduation from the academy he attended Princeton University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in education. After graduating from Princeton, he spent several years teaching in Karachi, Pakistan, working with young athletes.

After his years in Pakistan he returned to the States, where he taught at Exeter, N.H., and then was assistant principal and principal at Weston Middle School in Massachusetts. While there he completed his master’s degree at Boston University and then taught in Wayland, Mass.

While living in Fryeburg he completed his certificate of graduate study at the University of New Hampshire. He then served as principal of Noble High School in North Berwick until receiving his recent appointment at Telstar.